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WITH  JOHN   BULL 
AND    JONATHAN 


T.  WERNER  LAURIE'S 
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w 


ITH     JOHN     BULL 
AND     JONATHAN. 

Reminiscences  of  Sixty  Years  of  an 
lerican's  Life  in  England  and  in 
ited  States 


>HN    MORGAN    RICHARDS     l£4l-W 

> 

•';<•    America*    Society    in    London    1901  -  1901 


w 


ITH     JOHN     BULL 
AND     JONATHAN. 

Reminiscences  of  Sixty  Years  of  an 
American's  Life  in  England  and  in 
the  United  States 


BY  JOHN    MORGAN    RICHARDS, 


President    of  the    American    Society    in    London     IQOI  -  IQO2 


LONDON:      T.    WERNER    LAURIE 

CLIFFORD'S  INN,  FLEET  STREET 

1905 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Bancroft  Library 


TO    MY 
RELATIVES   AND    FRIENDS 

ON 
BOTH    SIDES   THE   ATLANTIC 


Foreword 

IN  putting  on  record  my  reminiscences  of  life  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic  I  do  so  from  a  British-American  point 
of  view.  I  have  not  attempted  to  give  advice  to  "  pilgrims  " 
about  to  visit  England,  or  the  United  States.  There  are  no 
descriptions  of  climate  and  scenery  of  either  country,  nor 
statistics  as  to  population,  heights  of  mountains,  lengths  and 
breadths  of  rivers  and  lakes,  miles  of  railway,  average  rain- 
fall, hours  of  sunshine,  or  "  vital  statistics  "  of  any  kind  ;  nor 
do  Politics  enter  into  any  of  my  observations. 

My  narrative  concerns  my  own  personal  experiences  in 
both  countries,  covering  a  period  of  sixty  years,  thirty- 
eight  years  of  which — 1867-1905 — have  been  spent  in 
England.  I  was  born  in  1841,  and  my  early  life,  until  1867, 
was  passed  in  the  United  States.  My  wish  has  been  to  give, 
in  pleasant  outlines,  sketches  of  those  with  whom  I  have 
had  social  or  business  relations,  how  we  fared  together,  and 
apart. 

The  contrasts  that  are  made  as  to  Methods  of  life,  both 
Social  and  Commercial,  are  not  to  be  regarded  other  than  as 
my  own  personal  views,  and  have  no  further  authoritative 
importance. 

I  have  placed  myself  really  in  the  position  of  one 
answering  questions,  which  I  believe  to  be  of  general  in- 
terest. In  my  estimate  of  the  importance  of  such  questions 
I  may  have  been  greatly  mistaken,  and  fallen  short  of  my 
aim  and  desire  in  the  value  of  my  replies. 

JOHN  MORGAN  RICHARDS. 


STKRPHILL  CASTLE,  ISLE  OF  WIGHT, 
October  1905. 


Contents 

CHAPTER   I 

1841 

Birth  and  Parentage — The  inevitable  Genealogical  Tree — An- 
cestors on  both  Sides — Their  Settlement  in  the  States — 
My  Mother's  Death — Village  Life  of  an  American  Minister 
— A  Donation  Party — Early  Friends — First  School  Ex- 
periences— Sports  and  Pastimes — The  Dame's  quaint 
Punishments — "Boys  and  Girls,  turn  your  Heads" — Begin 
Life  on  a  Farm — Hard  Work — Rejoin  my  Father — Fly 
from  "Yellow  Jack"  to  a  Slave  Plantation— Life  amongst 
Slaves  in  Mississippi — Removal  to  New  Orleans 


CHAPTER  II 

My  Father  goes  to  England — I  take  his  Library  and  effects  to 
New  York — My  First  Warehouse  Engagement — Manage  a 
Branch  at  Boston,  and  marry — Join  the  Firm  of  Demas 
Barnes,  and  travel — In  U.S.  and  Canada — I  canvass 
the  Confederate  States — Instructions  for  a  Journey  inl 
California — "Create  a  Sensation" — My  Mustang  Ponies\ 
— Bankers  and  Credit — Novel  Identification — Return  to 
New  York — The  Firm  of  Demas  Barnes  and  the  Partners 
—The  Beecher-Tilton  Affair  .  16 


CHAPTER   III 

I  get  tired  of  Travelling — Resume  my  Road  Work  for  a  brief 
Time — Engaged  by  Mr  Van  Duzer  to  represent  his  Firm 
in  England — The  s.s.  Russia — Cunarders  in  1867 — Reach 
Liverpool,  and  train  for  London — The  Langholm  Hotel — 
Look  around  on  Sunday — Settle  down  to  Work — A  Copy- 
right Claim — My  First  Law-suit — My  Wife  rejoins  me — 
Madame  Tussaud's — Visit  America — Partnership  dissolved 
— Begin  Business  on  my  own  Account  .  .  .30 

ix 


Contents 

PAGE 

CHAPTER   IV 

Proprietary  Business  and  Advertising — English  Editors  and  their 
Advertising  Columns — Sale  of  Plantation  Bitters — A  Cute 
American — River  Scenery — A  Puzzling  Advertisement — 
Advertising  Fireworks — Taxing  Proprietary  Articles — 
Pirating  English  Medicines — A  New  Fascination — Mr 
Lever's  View — United  States  for  Machinery — England  for 
Cabinet  Work — American  Boots  and  Shoes  .  .  .46 


CHAPTER  V 

My  New  Business — The  First  Introduction  of  American  Cigarettes 
and  Smoking  Tobacco  into  England — The  Richmond  Gem 
— The  Quaker  and  the  Cigarette — Forcing  the  British  Sale 
— A  Great  Tobacco  Combination — Removal  to  Holborn 
Viaduct  —  Interesting  Neighbourhood  —  The  Smithfield 
Martyrs — Here  John  Bunyan  died — Burial-place  of  Captain 
John  Smith — Bad  Debts — Street  Language — Forms  of 
Address — English  Proprietary  Articles  in  the  United 
States  —  Advanced  Pharmacy  —  The  Diamond  Match 
Company  .......  66 

CHAPTER  VI 

Dr  Joseph  Parker — Personal  Acquaintance  and  Friendship — My 
Father's  Visit  and  Death — Thursday  Morning  Services — 
Henry  Ward  Beecher's  Visit  to  London — Colman's  Mustard 
— Dr  Parker's  Lectures  in  the  United  States — Controversy 
arises — Lecture  Tour  abbreviated — Dr  Parker's  Letters — 
Plymouth  Church — I  join  the  Diaconate  of  City  Temple 
— Dr  and  Mrs  Parkers  Silver  Wedding — Presentation  of 
Gifts — Dr  Parker's  Commandments  for  Men  of  Business  .  79 


CHAPTER  VII 

English  Holiday-making — Our  Visits  with  Dr  and  Mrs  Parker — 
Mrs  Parker's  Illness  and  Death— The  Doctor's  Grief— He 
is  Heart-broken — Continues  his  Ministry — His  last  Holiday 
with  us — Illness  and  Death  .....  98 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Home  Life — Dr  Parker  and  Pearl — Illustrated  Letters — My 
Daughter  Pearl's  early  Life — A  Mimic — Her  Studiousness 
— Reads  Thackeray — Effect  of  Toole's  Acting  and  others 

— Her  First  Book — Her  First  Play Education  of  my 

Sons — Dorothy — Her  Marriage          .  .  .  1 1 1 


Contents 

PACK 

CHAPTER   IX 

First  Visit  to  a  Theatre — "Romeo  and  Juliet" — A  morning  Call 
— Tenants  and  Rent-collecting  in  New  York — My  early 
Acquaintance  with  Mr  Joseph  Jefferson  the  Actor — Edwin 
Forrest — F.  B.  Conway — Dan  Bryant — The  London  Stage 
in  1867-68 — Mrs  Dallas  Glyn — Her  Gifts  and  Death — An 
Experience  at  Stein  way  Hall — Racers  through  London  .  124 

CHAPTER  X 

Cost  of  Living  in  the  States  and  in  England — American  and 
English  Hotels — The  Question  of  Servants  and  of  Clerks 
— A  dainty  English  Clerk  v.  A  smart  American — House- 
keeping Expenses  and  Servants — Cab  and  Bus  Fares — 
Education  in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain — Food — 
The  American  Society — American  Charities  in  London — 
Applicants  for  Relief — A  Benevolent  Fund — Stranded  in 
London — National  Monument  to  the  Queen — New  Year 
Calls — Tipping  .  .  .  .  .  .138 

CHAPTER  XI 

The  Academy  —  Scheme  of  Academy  Crowns — London  Forty 
Years  ago — Footsteps  of  the  Martyrs — Middle  Row  dis- 
appears— Opening  of  the  Viaduct — Alterations  in  Build- 
ings and  Streets — Railways — Baron  Grant  and  Leicester 
Square — Athletics — English  the  better  Oarsmen — Field 
Sports — Mr  Cooke  of  Leeds— The  Isle  of  Wight— Steephill 
Castle  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .159 

CHAPTER  XII 

Walking  and  Driving  Tours  in  England — Widows  as  Publicans — 
Young  America  in  England  and  Young  England  in  the 
United  States — The  Alien  American — An  "  Unnaturalised 
Alien,"  —  Firms  of  Americans  in  London — Continental 
Experiences — A  visit  to  Canada — Holland — Railway  Travel- 
ling— Porters  and  Porters  .  .  .  .  173 

CHAPTER  XIII 

Revisiting  America — The  Changes  apparent — In  Ships  crossing 
the  Atlantic — Improved  Roads — Sky-scrapers — Servants — 
Hours  of  Labour  changed — Merchants  seen  by  Everybody 
— Travelling  Facilities — Tyranny  of  Hackmen — Charity 
Collections — Eating,  Drinking,  and  Smoking — American 
Women — The  Stage  Yankee — Questions  of  Accent  and  Pro- 
nunciation .  .  .  .  .  .  .187 

zi 


Contents 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIV 

Social  Amenities  in  American  Clubs — Jonathan  a  Man  of  Business 
— The  Fashion  in  Vehicles — English  in  Clothes,  Walking- 
sticks,  Umbrellas,  and  Hats— Liveries  creeping  in— Dust- 
bins— Tomatoes  on  the  Table — "  Chicken  Food  " — Renting 
Houses — Public  Undertakings — What  John  Bull  owes  to 
Jonathan — The  Toast  Master — The  Seasons .  .  .  204 

CHAPTER  XV 

Popularity  of  Americans  in  England — Episcopacy  in  the  States 
— National  Distinctions — Prince  of  Wales'  Visit — American 
Public  Men  in  England — Story  of  Mark  Twain — The  East- 
Enders  of  New  York — Relief  of  the  Poor  and  the  Sick — 
"  Wake  up,  England  "—Mail-carrying,  Old  and  New — The 
Pony  Express — Sunday  Observances  .  .  .  220 

ui|pl 

CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Times  and  The  Standard  as  Publishers— The  Encyclopedia 

Britannica  and  English  Literature Half-a-million  spent 

in  advertising — Company  Promoting — Savings  Banks  in 
United  States— Cheque  System— The  Waldorf  Astoria 
—  United  States  Officials  —  Divorce  Laws  in  America — 
English  and  American  Women— A  great  Snowstorm  .  235 

CHAPTER  XVII 

Commercial  Monopolies— The  Presidential  Platform,  1904— No 
Loyal  or  Patriotic  Toasts  at  Banquets  in  the  States — "  Our 
Beggar  Pedlar  Bouncer  is  in  " — Mock  Auctions  and  Barkers 
— Camp  Meetings — Story  by  Sir  John  Millais — Mr  Birch 
and  his  Work — Mrs  Jemima  Luke — Conductors  on  Railways 
— Art  of  Criticism — Luck — Precedents  .  ".  .  254 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

Solicitors,  Barristers,  and  Attorneys-at-Law — Bills  of  Costs — 
Judges  in  England  and  United  States — Medical  Men — Fire 
Brigades — Management  of  Street  Traffic — Bank  of  England 
— General  Post  Office — Holidays — Waste  caused  in  England 
— Bicycles  and  Tricycles — Freemasons — Clubs — The  Sphinx 
Club — Circulating  Libraries — The  Times  Book  Club — 
Patents— Motors  .  .  .  .  .  :*->  268 

CHAPTER  XIX 

1905 

Afterwords — Gathering  up  the  Threads         ....      286 

xii 


List    of   Illustrations 


Author  ........    Frontispiece 

Rev.  James  Richards,  D.D. — grandfather  ;  Thomas  Beals, 

Banker— grandfather  (mother's  side)       .  .  facing  page  2 

The  Brothers  Field.  Taken  at  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  in  1860, 
for  their  Aunt,  Mrs  Abigail  Field  Beals,  of  Canandaigua, 
New  York.  Reading  from  left  to  right,  Henry  M. 
Field,  Cyrus  W.  Field,  Jonathan  Field,  David  Dudley 
Field,  Matthew  Field,  Stephen  J.  Field  .  „  4 

Rev.  James  Richards,  D.D. ;  Mrs  Elizabeth  Beals  Richards 

(from  a  marble  bust  taken,  1840)  .  .  „  6 

John  Morgan  of  Aurora,  New  York  (from  an  oil  painting) ; 

Morgan  Hall,  Auburn  Theological  Seminary      .  .          „  8 

Main  Street,  Pen  Yan,  New  York ;    Bird's  Eye  View  of 

Canandaigua,  New  York  .  .  .  .  .         ,,         10 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  1797- 

1847  :  Public  School,  Canandaigua,  New  York          .         ,,         12 

John  Morgan  Richards  at  New  Orleans,  La.  (aged  12) ; 

Cayuga  Lake,  Aurora,  New  York          .  .  „         16 

Edward  Cowles  Richards;  Mrs  Elizabeth  Beals  Richards 

(from  a  pencil  drawing,  1845)       •  •  •  »         l% 

Demas    Barnes,   Merchant,   New  York ;   William    Porter 

Ward,  Merchant,  New  York      .  .  .  .          ,,         26 

Main  Street,  Penn  Yan,  New  York  ;  Brent  Good      .  .         „         28 

Joseph  Parker  —  Drawn   in   the  firelight   in  the  study  at 

"Tynehouse,"  Hampstead,  1888,  by  Maude  Porter     .         „         82 

Rev.  Dr  Parker ;  Mrs  Parker ;  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher 

and  Mrs  Beecher  on  the  Guildford  Coach,  June  1886   .          ,,         86 


List  of  Illustrations 

Cyrus  W.  Field  (Atlantic  Cable) ;  Rev.  Dr  Joseph  Parker, 

1875         •'•••'•,         »  •.  •  •  .  facing  page  9 

Rev  Dr  Parker  at  the  Zoological  Gardens,  May  1902  .  ,,       102 

Facsimiles  of  Dr  Parker's  Letters  to  Pearl  Richards  .  page  112 

Pearl  Richards  (aged  5)           .            .            .            .  facing  page  112 

Mrs  Craigie  at  Lancaster  Gate           .            .            .  .  ,,122 

Pearl  Mary  Teresa  Craigie      .            .            .            .  .  ,,116 

Stage  favourites  in  America  in  the  Sixties  and  after .  .  ,,126 

Stage  favourites  in  London  in  the  Seventies  and  after  .  „       130 

Miss  Glyn  as  Cleopartra,  1853  (from  a  crayon  drawing  by 

Solomon)    .......,,       134 

Ventnor,  Isle  of  Wight,  looking  East.     Photo  by  Broderick 

Ryde  .  ...  ,,170 

Steephill  Castle,  Isle  of  Wight  .  .  .  .         „        172 

Coaching  Party  from  Steephill  Castle,  August  1905  .  .          ,,176 

National  Bank  of  North  America,  New  York  .  .         ,,       190 

Steamer  Pilgrim  passing  under  Brooklyn  Suspension  Bridge, 

East  River,  New  York    .  .  .  .  ,,       194 

Margaret  Wilson,  the  Puritan  Martyr,  by  C.  B.  Birch,  A.R.A.         „       262 

Facsimile  of  Drawing  by  Phiz,  1879 — Mrs  John  Morgan 

Richards     ........       292 

Cartoon  by  F.  C.  G.  of  the  Author  as  President  of  the 

Sphynx  Club          ......      End  paper 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 


CHAPTER   I 
1841 

Birth  and  Parentage  —  The  inevitable  Genealogical  Tree  —  Ancestors  on 
both  Sides—  Their  Settlement  in  the  States—  My  Mother's  Death  — 
Village  Life  of  an  American  Minister  —  A  Donation  Party  —  Early 
Friends  —  First  School  Experiences  —  Sports  and  Pastimes  —  The 
Dame's  quaint  Punishments  —  "  Boys  and  Girls,  turn  your  Heads  " 


ERRATA. 

Page  62,  from  line  10,  should  read  :  "  The  only  evening  newspapers  were 
the  Globe,  established  in  1803,  and  the  Evening  Standard  in  1827,  the  Echo 
being  published  in  1868.  The  Echo  was  the  first  to  be  brought  out  at  the 
price  of  a  halfpenny." 

Page  122,  third  line  from  bottom,  should  read  :  "  in  October,  1901." 


ana,    alter    serving 

settled  in  the  State  of  Connecticut. 


List  of  Illustrations 

Cyrus  W.  Field  (Atlantic  Cable) ;  Rev.  Dr  Joseph  Parker, 


i875 

Rev  Dr  Parker  at  the  Zoological  Gardens,  May  1902 
Facsimiles  of  Dr  Parker's  Letters  to  Pearl  Richards 
Pearl  Richards  (aged  5) 
Mrs  Craigie  at  Lancaster  Gate 
Pearl  Mary  Teresa  Craigie      .... 
Stage  favourites  in  America  in  the  Sixties  and  after . 
Stage  favourites  in  London  in  the  Seventies  and  after 


facing  page  9 

,,        10^ 

*        page  112 

facing  page  112 

122 

116 

126 

130 


Miss  Glyn  as  Cleopartra,  1853  (from  a  crayon  drawing  by 
Solomon)    ...•••• 

Ventnor,  Isle  of  Wight,  looking  East.     Photo  by  Broderick 


134 


170 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 


CHAPTER   I 
1841 

Birth  and  Parentage — The  inevitable  Genealogical  Tree — Ancestors  on 
both  Sides— Their  Settlement  in  the  States— My  Mother's  Death — 
Village  Life  of  an  American  Minister — A  Donation  Party — Early 
Friends — First  School  Experiences — Sports  and  Pastimes — The 
Dame's  quaint  Punishments — "  Boys  and  Girls,  turn  your  Heads" 
— Begin  Life  on  a  Farm — Hard  Work — Rejoin  my  Father — Fly 
from  "Yellow  Jack"  to  a  Slave  Plantation — Life  amongst  Slaves 
in  Mississippi — Removal  to  New  Orleans. 

WRITERS  of  fiction  and  romantic  history  have  a 
licence  in  the  method  of  introducing  their  heroes  and 
heroines  which  cannot  be  allowed  to  the  biographer. 
In  the  works  of  the  former  class,  questions  of  parent- 
age, birth,  and  family  history  may  be  settled  without 
minute  genealogical  research.  Not  so,  however,  the 
biographer :  he  is  bound  by  conventions  to  account 
for  his  progenitors,  however  tedious  the  recital,  by 
relating  the  "truth,"  which  is  oftentimes  "stranger 
than  fiction." 

My  family  is  of  English  origin.  An  ancestor  on 
my  father's  side  was  a  native  of  Lichfield,  Stafford- 
shire, who  left  England  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne, 
and,  after  serving  against  the  French  in  Canada, 
settled  in  the  State  of  Connecticut. 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

My  grandfather,  James  Richards,  was  in  the  fourth 
generation,  being  the  son  of  James,  who  was  the  son 
of  James,  the  son  of  Samuel,  the  original  settler.  He 
was  born  in  New  Canaan,  Connecticut,  1767,  and  was 
the  eldest  of  nine  children.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
and  his  mother's  maiden  name  was  Ruth  Hanford. 
She  was  a  woman  of  vigorous  intellect  and  of  uncom- 
promising faithfulness  in  questions  of  social  duty. 
Children  were  then  subjected  to  their  parents,  whom 
they  loved  not  less,  but  feared  much  more,  than  they 
do  now.  Her  son  James  was  accustomed  to  say  "  his 
mother  governed  her  family"  of  nine  children  "with 
her  eye  and  forefinger." 

My  grandfather  James  Richards  entered  Yale  Col- 
lege in  1789.  He  was  afterwards  licensed  to  preach  in 
the  western  district  of  Fairfield,  Conn.,  by  the  Presby- 
terian Association,  1793.  Subsequently  he  preached 
at  Ballston,  New  York,  and  at  Sag  Harbour  and 
Shelter  Island,  New  York  State,  He  married  Caroline 
Cowles  of  Farmington,  Conn.  She  survived  her  hus- 
band a  little  more  than  four  years,  and  died  at  Auburn, 
New  York. 

She  was  great-aunt  to  Commander  William  Sheffield 
Cowles,  recently  acting  as  naval  attache  to  the 
American  Embassy  in  London,  who  married  Miss 
Anna  Roosevelt,  sister  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States. 

In  1794  my  grandfather  was  called  to  the  pastoral 
charge  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Morristown, 
New  Jersey,  and  was  installed  in  1797,  and  in  1805 
was  elected  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  Presbyterian  Church.  Afterwards,  in  1809,  he 
accepted  an  invitation  from  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Newark,  New  Jersey.  Finally,  in  1823, 
he  accepted  a  professorship  at  Auburn  Theological 
Seminary,  New  York.  He  died  2nd  August  1843. 

On  my  mother's  side  my  grandfather  was  Thomas 
Beals,  who  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  and  settled  in 
Canandaigua,  Ontario  Co.,  New  York,  October  1803. 
His  ancestor  was  John  Beals,  who  emigrated  from 
Hingham,  near  Attleboro,  Norfolk,  England,  in  1638. 
He  came  over  with  his  wife,  five  children,  and  two 
servants  in  the  sailing  ship  Diligent.  There  were  133 
others  from  the  same  village  on  board  ship,  nearly  all 
of  whom  settled  in  Hingham,  Mass. 

Thomas  Beals  was  a  man  of  marked  attainments, 
combined  with  great  industry  and  energy.  He  estab- 
lished the  Ontario  Savings  Bank  in  1832,  and  after- 
wards "  The  Thomas  Beals  Bank,"  locally  known  as 
the  "  Bee  Hive."  A  sign  hung  over  the  bank 
entrance  representing  this  emblem  of  industry  and 
savings.  He  became  Treasurer  of  the  Church  and 
Schools  and  various  Corporations  of  the  County,  was 
U.S.  Pension  Agent,  and  acted  as  financial  adviser 
and  banker  to  the  trading  people  and  farmers  of  the 
district.  He  erected  several  blocks  of  buildings, 
built  two  large  hotels,  was  interested  in  all  move- 
ments for  the  benefit  of  the  town,  and  was  greatly 
respected.  He  died  at  Canandaigua  in  1864,  in  his 
eighty-second  year. 

Thomas  Beals'  sister  Lydia,  a  noted  beauty, 
became  the  second  wife  of  the  Rev.  Dr  Lyman 

3 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Beecher,  the  father  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 
Speaking  of  her,  Mr  H.  W.  Beecher  wrote  she  was 
"  the  possessor  of  great  personal  beauty,  a  cultivated 
and  intellectual  mind,  polished  manners,  and  rich  in 
all  social  acquirements.  Her  religious  awakening 

.  .  assumed  the  character  of  a  religion  solemn, 
inflexible,  vigorous,  and  sombre." 

My  grandmother  Beals  was  a  Miss  Abigail  Field, 
daughter  of  Captain  Timothy  Field,  who  came  from 
Guildford,  Connecticut,  with  her  brother,  to  reside  in 
Canandaigua,  and  was  married  to  Thomas  Beals. 

Her  brother,  the  Rev.  Timothy  Field,  became  first 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  that  village. 

This  Grandmother  was  aunt  to  Cyrus  W.  Field  of 
Atlantic  cable  fame ;  Stephen  J.  Field,  Chief  Justice 
of  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court  at  Washington  ;  David 
Dudley  Field,  jurist  of  New  York  ;  and  of  Henry  M. 
Field,  editor  of  The  New  York  Evangelist,  a  traveller 
and  an  author,  who  is  still  living  at  Stockbridge, 
Mass. 

She  was  also  great-aunt  to  the  present  David  J. 
Brewer,  Associate  Judge  of  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court,  Washington.  Thus  the  singular  coincidence 
was  presented,  that  both  uncle  and  nephew  were 
associate  judges,  sitting  together  on  the  same  Bench, 
in  the  highest  court  of  justice  in  the  land — the  one 
being  73  years  of  age  and  the  other  52. 

A  daughter  of  David  Dudley  Field  resides  in 
England.  She  is  the  widow  of  the  late  Sir  Anthony 
Musgrave,  G.C.M.G.,  Governor  of  Queensland 
1883-8. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

My  father,  Dr  James  Richards,  was  the  youngest 
son.  He  was  originally  destined  for  the  Church  ;  but 
after  completing  his  early  education  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  New  York,  declared  his  preference  for 
the  law,  and  entered  upon  the  necessary  studies  in  the 
office  of  Judge  Henry  W.  Taylor  at  Canandaigua, 
New  York. 

As  nothing  is  supposed  to  happen  save  the  un- 
expected, James  Richards,  the  young  law  student, 
who  had  no  intention  at  that  time  of  entering  the 
ministry,  became  acquainted  with  Elizabeth  Beals. 

She  was  the  fifth  daughter  of  Thomas  Beals,  an 
educated  and  attractive  young  woman,  deeply  imbued 
with  sound  religious  convictions  ;  and  was  currently 
reported  to  have  vowed  that  she  would  never  marry 
anyone  but  a  clergyman. 

Her  influence  soon  produced  a  change  in  my  father's 
projects,  and  he  determined  to  give  up  law  and  be- 
come a  minister.  There  was  no  difficulty  in  this  ;  and 
Dr  Richards,  then  a  professor  of  Auburn  Theological 
Seminary,  welcomed  his  son  as  a  student.  After 
three  years  he  was  licensed  to  preach. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  Dr  Richards  of 
Auburn  officiated  at  the  marriage  of  his  son  to 
Elizabeth  Beals.  For  many  years,  long  after  the 
death  of  the  bride,  one  sentence  of  Dr  Richards'  ad- 
dress to  the  youthful  couple  was  remembered  and 
quoted.  He  said  to  them :  "  God  bless  you,  my 
dears.  Remember  that  love  is  as  necessary  after, 
as  before,  marriage." 

My  father  soon  after  accepted  a  call  to  the  Presby- 

5 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

terian  Church  of  Aurora,  a  lovely  village  on  the 
shores  of  Cayuga  Lake.  This  call  was  the  more 
acceptable  because  there  lived  here  Mr  Christopher 
Morgan,  whose  son  John,  was  in  previous  years,  a 
schoolmate  and  close  friend  of  my  father. 

While  residing  here  my  mother  gave  birth  to  my 
elder  brother  James  ;  and  two  years  afterwards  my 
father's  good  friend,  John  Morgan,  died.  By  his  will 
10,000  dollars  was  left  to  my  father's  church,  and 
2000  dollars  for  the  purchase  of  a  parsonage.  These 
were  very  substantial  reasons  for  my  father  and 
mother,  on  my  birth,  i6th  February  1841,  naming 
me  after  their  deceased  and  generous  friend  John 
Morgan. 

My  Father  soon  after  transferred  his  ministry  to 
the  church  at  Penn  Yan,  Yates  County,  New  York. 
Here  mother  gave  birth  to  my  two  sisters,  Caroline 
Cowles  and  Anna  Beach.  At  this  period  my  mother's 
health  seriously  declined,  and  her  death  soon  after- 
wards took  place. 

Her  life  at  Penn  Yan  may  be  gathered  by  extracts 
from  letters,  which  she  wrote  to  her  parents  and 
sisters,  that  have  been  preserved.  There  are  con- 
stant references  to  her  increasing  illness,  and  to  visits 
from  medical  men,  whose  services  were  always  ren- 
dered gratuitously,  as  the  custom  was  with  regard  to 
the  wives  of  all  ministers. 

There  are  slight  glimpses  of  home  life — sewing 
parties,  and  of  the  entertainment  of  friends,  relatives, 
and  ministers.  There  is  one  reference  to  the  loss  of 
a  double  fee  for  the  marrying  of  two  couples  at  a 

6 


!  I 

a     js 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

place  eleven  miles  distant  through  the  husband's 
absence  from  home,  and  the  expression  of  a  regret, 
as  though  the  fee  would  have  been  welcome. 

Two  other  references  recall  the  strictness  of  prin- 
ciples in  the  early  days  of  Puritanism.  A  discussion 
arose  as  to  the  propriety  of  sending  out  invitations  to 
parties  seven  days  in  advance — one  friend  objecting 
because  "his  thoughts  became  so  much  distracted  that 
the  sermons  on  the  Sabbath  did  him  no  good "  ;  the 
second  question  was  as  to  the  conduct  of  those  suffer- 
ing from  any  infirmity.  Here  is  the  problem  :  "Mrs 

goes  out  a  great  deal,  not  for  exercise,  but  to 

visit.     She  does  not  walk  a  step  while  in  the  house ; 
she  reclines  on  a  sofa  or  sits  in  a  rocking-chair.     Dr 

and   Mr  take  her  in  their  arms  as  they 

would  a  child,  and  carry  her  out  of  doors,  and  place 
her  in  the  carriage.    .    .    .    How  she  can  consent  to 
such     things    is     more     than    I     can     account     for. 
Mamma    says    that    if   a    wise    Providence    had    so 
afflicted  her  that  she  could  not  go  about,  as   other 
people  did,  she  would  be  resigned  to  her  fate,  and 
stay   at  home.      I   presume  this  is  the  language  of 
many  hearts." 

These  extracts  outline  the  unalluring  incidents  of 
their  daily  life. 

In  order  to  provide  for  the  oversight  of  my  brother, 
my  sisters,  and  myself,  and  at  the  same  time  super- 
intend the  affairs  of  the  house,  my  father,  after  the 
funeral  of  mother,  engaged  an  excellent  housekeeper. 

I  was  sent  with  my  brother  to  a  Dame's  school  near 
at  hand,  and  as  this  was  the  first  school  we  attended 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  event  was  regarded  by  both  of  us  as  one  of  con- 
siderable importance.  There  were  not  more  than 
twenty  boys  and  girls  there,  and  we  were  taught  in 
classes  according  to  age. 

At  this  school  the  mistress  had  quite  an  original 
way  of  punishing  recalcitrant  scholars.  Boys  were 
made  to  stand  on  the  entrance  porch  wearing  a  girl's 
sun-bonnet  while  the  mail  stage-coach  passed.  Upon 
one  special  occasion  I  was  suffering  this  punishment 
when  Judge  Ellsworth,  a  Member  of  Congress  for  the 
county,  who  had  a  son  in  the  school,  passed  by  on 
the  coach,  to  my  great  discomfiture. 

If  a  boy  had  been  excessively  naughty  a  more 
serious  punishment  was  inflicted.  The  culprit  was 
placed  across  the  knees  of  the  mistress,  who,  calling 
out  "  Boys  and  girls,  turn  your  faces  to  the  wall ! " 
spanked  the  offender  with  a  rule. 

Among  my  earliest  school  friends  was  Stewart 
Ellsworth,  son  of  Judge  Ellsworth,  who  afterwards 
became  a  major-general  in  the  United  States  army, 
and  served  during  the  American  Civil  War.  He 
visited  me  in  London  some  years  ago. 

After  the  lapse  of  two  years  my  father  took  for  his 
second  wife  Sarah  Wisner.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Mr  Henry  A.  Wisner,  a  distinguished  lawyer  of  the 
town,  and  a  descendant  of  Henry  Wisner,  who  was 
a  delegate  to  the  Convention  for  forming  the  con- 
stitution of  the  State  of  New  York. 

This  even  was  almost  immediately  followed  by  a 
call,  which  was  accepted,  to  the  pastorate  of  a  church 
at  Morristown,  Morris  County,  New  Jersey,  which 

8 


JOHN  MORGAN,  OF  AURORA,  NEW  VOKK. 

From  an   Oil  Painting. 


MORGAN   HALL.      AUBURN   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY. 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

Dr  Richards,  my  grandfather,  had  aforetime  filled, 
and  we  at  once  removed  to  that  town. 

As  soon  as  we  were  settled  my  father  placed  my 
brother  and  myself  in  the  Morris  Academy  —  a 
partially-endowed  and  excellent  local  school.  There 
were  about  120  boys  and  girls  there,  and  the  manage- 
ment was  in  the  hands  of  a  Principal,  Mr  Isaac  A. 
Blauvelt,  whose  wife  had  charge  of  the  girls'  depart- 
ment. The  usual  curriculum  was  enforced  ;  and  here, 
in  my  eighth  year,  I  was  placed  in  the  Latin  class. 

Amongst  the  many  boys  here,  with  whom  we  be- 
came very  friendly,  only  one  or  two  are  now  living — 
with  one  of  whom,  George  Voorhees,  a  successful 
merchant  in  the  town,  I  have  held  correspondence 
from  the  time  of  leaving  school  to  the  present  day. 

While  at  this  school  James  and  I  suffered  much 
from  a  pleasant  custom  which  existed,  known  as  "A 
Donation  Party."  This  was  held  once  a  year  at  the 
Pastor's  house,  and  was  attended  by  members  of  the 
church  and  congregation,  and  other  friends,  who  came 
laden  with  gifts  intended  to  supplement  the  pastor's 
salary.  No  one  in  the  family  was  exempted  from  the 
kind  attentions  of  the  visitors,  and  the  gifts,  for  the 
most  part  practical,  included  eggs  and  butter,  flour, 
vegetables,  loads  of  firewood,  poultry,  joints,  groceries, 
and  clothing.  These  last  mentioned  caused  the  suffer- 
ing to  which  I  alluded.  The  clothing  was  in  most 
instances  second-hand — suits  which  other  boys  had 
outgrown ;  dresses  of  the  previous  season,  a  trifle 
out  of  fashion  in  colour  or  style ;  and  what  was 
donated  had  to  be  worn,  lest  the  donor  receive 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

offence.  My  father,  however,  was  exempt  from  any 
humiliation  on  this  score.  He  was  so  tall  that  no 
garment  worn  by  anyone  else  in  the  town  would  fit 
him  ;  and,  although  my  stepmother  was  not  altogether 
exempted,  the  chief  burden  of  shame,  James  and  I 
considered,  fell  upon  us.  The  clothes  which  came  to 
us  were,  of  course,  those  which  had  been  worn  at 
school  by  our  fellow-pupils,  and  had  been  carefully 
put  aside  by  the  parents  against  Donation  Day. 

I  shall  never  forget  upon  one  occasion  appearing 
at  school  in  a  pair  of  second-hand  trousers,  and 
being  at  once  accosted  by  other  boys.  "  Hello ! 
John  Morgan,"  they  cried  out,  "  I  guess  you've  got 
on  Dick  S.'s  trousers.  Ha!  ha!" 

Upon  another  "Donation"  occasion  I  was  presented 
with  a  cap  and  top-boots — all  were  new.  The  cap 
was  so  large  that  I  had  to  place  a  thick  lining  of 
cotton  wool  inside  the  head  band  to  keep  it  on  my 
head.  The  boots  were  several  sizes  beyond  my 
measure.  I  was  greeted  at  school  with  some  words 
of  chaff  regarding  the  cap — the  boots  were  at  once 
hailed  as  "  canal  boats,"  all  to  my  complete  undoing. 
I  absolve  the  good  friends  who  sent  these  gifts  from 
any  motives  other  than  utter  kindness,  but  they 
lacked  the  instinct  to  understand  "boys." 

James  was  more  obtrusively  pugnacious  than  I, 
and  when  they  began  upon  him  he  armed  him- 
self with  a  leaden  sling,  and  gave  notice  that  he 
would  let  fly  at  any  boy  who  jeered  him.  One  of 
the  bigger  lads,  relying  upon  his  superior  years 
and  strength,  commenced  chaffing  him,  and  at  once 

10 


MAIN  STREET,  PENN  YA\,  NEW  YORK. 


BIRD'S  EYE  VIEW  OF  CANANDAIGUA,  NEW  YORK. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

received  a  blow  which  cut  through  the  skin  of  his 
head.  This  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Principal, 
who  put  a  stop  at  once  to  the  annoyances  to 
which  we  were  subjected. 

At  the  very  first  of  these  Donation  parties  held 
in  Morristown  my  stepmother  was  presented  with 
a  silk  dress  which  had  been  worn  by  one  of  the 
ladies  of  the  congregation.  This  she  wore  on  the 
following  Sunday,  and  while  standing  in  the  vesti- 
bule warming  her  hands  and  feet  over  the  register 
before  going  inside,  the  previous  owner  stepped  up 
to  her,  and  raising  the  hem  of  the  gown,  said  :  "  Wai, 
Mrs  Richards,  I  think  I've  seen  that  dress  before." 
There  was  a  titter  among  those  present ;  but  my  mother 
replied  with  great  composure:  "  You  certainly  showed 
good  taste,"  and  then  passed  to  her  seat  in  church. 

After  two  years  my  father  left  Morristown  through 
ill  health,  which  led  to  the  members  of  our  family 
being  scattered.  James,  my  two  sisters,  and  I  went 
to  live  with  our  grandparents  at  Canandaigua,  who 
now  assumed  all  responsibility  for  the  maintenance 
of  my  brother  and  myself  as  well  as  my  two  sisters. 
No  words  can  fitly  describe  their  unselfish,  devoted, 
and  tender  care  of  us.  My  sisters  remained  under 
their  roof  for  some  years — after  my  brother  and 
myself  were  settled  in  life,  and  earning  our  own 
living.  My  stepmother  with  my  two  stepsisters, 
who  were  born  at  Morristown,  returned  to  Penn 
Yan,  to  her  mother's  house. 

Giving  up  his  ministry,  my  Father  went  to  reside 
at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  the  site  of  the  present 


ii 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

University,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  year, 
and  then  obtained  a  professorship  in  the  Planters' 
College,  Port  Gibson,  Mississippi. 

My  Grandfather  at  once  sent  James  to  the 
Canandaigua  Academy  and  sent  me  to  a  district 
public  school. 

As  in  England,  so  in  the  United  States,  there  is 
a  particular  sport  common  to  youth  in  every  season 
of  the  year.  Beginning  with  the  winter  months — 
November,  December,  and  January  we  had  skating 
and  tobogganing — but  the  latter  sport  in  my  days 
had  the  simple  name  of  ''sliding  downhill."  Both 
boys  and  girls  engaged  in  these  sports,  and  in 
skating  the  girls  were  always  more  graceful  and 
more  expert  than  the  boys.  Nearly  every  skater 
then,  was  able  to  execute  upon  the  ice,  many  of  the 
fantastic  and  skilful  figures  which  have  since  become 
well  known  to  professional  skaters,  and  are  now 
shewn  by  amateurs  at  skating  rinks — which,  by  the 
way,  is  of  American  introduction  to  England.  In 
the  spring  we  had  baseball  and  top  and  marble 
playing.  In  summer-time  fishing,  swimming,  and 
ball-playing  were  enjoyed  to  the  utmost.  Neither 
football  nor  cricket  was  known  to  us. 

My  grandfather  held  the  opinion  that  out-of-door 
work  should  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  education,  and, 
in  pursuance  of  that  principle,  at  the  end  of  twelve 
months,  arrangements  were  made  for  both  of  us  to 
learn  some  of  the  principles  of  farming. 

My  brother  James  and  I  were  sent  to  separate 
farms  in  the  village  of  East  Bloomfield.  These  farms 


12 


FIRST    PRKSHVTKKIAX    CHURCH,    MOKRISTOWN,    N.J.       1797-1847. 


PUBLIC    SCHOOL,   CANANDAIGUA,   NEW   YORK. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

were  three  miles  apart,  and  eight  miles  from  Canan- 
daigua.  In  the  State  of  New  York  the  usual  farm- 
holding  was  1 60  acres,  and  this  was  the  extent  of 
the  land  worked  by  the  farmers  to  whom  my  brother 
and  I  were  sent.  We  received  no  wages,  but  had  our 
board  and  "keep."  We  were  most  kindly  treated 
as  members  of  the  family.  I  had  to  take  a  share 
in  all  the  "  chores "  throughout  the  day.  Rising  at 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  had  to  assist  in  milking 
the  cows,  grooming,  feeding,  and  watering  the  horses, 
and  many  other  jobs  about  the  place.  We  sat  down 
to  breakfast  at  6.30  A.M.  —  taking  that  meal  by 
candle-light  in  winter  time  ;  had  dinner  at  noon  ;  and 
a  tea-supper  at  six  o'clock ;  then,  after  further  work, 
went  to  bed  at  nine  in  the  evening.  In  the  spring, 
summer,  and  autumn  months  I  found  variations  of 
work  in  the  fields.  In  winter-time  there  was  threshing 
of  grain,  corn  shelling,  feed  cutting  (hay  and  straw 
and  roots,  for  horses  and  cattle).  I  had  to  share  in 
attending  "market"  with  eggs,  butter,  and  poultry; 
and  exchange  them  with  storekeepers  for  household 
requirements. 

Nor  was  this  all,  because  there  was  a  maple  sugar 
bush  of  300  trees  on  the  farm  ;  and  I  was  taught  how 
to  tap  the  trees  in  spring  so  as  to  draw  off  the  liquid 
sugar,  and  boil  this  in  the  sugar-house  until  formed 
into  a  marketable  article. 

In  the  winter  months  I  attended  school  at  East 
Bloomfield  village,  two  miles  from  the  farm. 

In  the  evenings  the  wife  of  the  farmer  was  good 
enough  to  read  aloud  to  us.  Among  other  works 

13 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

thus  read  was  Mrs  Beecher  Stowe's  famous  book, 
"  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  and  I  remember  that  we 
never  heard,  at  any  one  time,  quite  enough  of  that 
remarkable  story.  Our  sympathies  were  strongly 
aroused  in  favour  of  the  slaves,  and  subsequently 
I  had  the  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
a  slave  estate  where  no  cruelties  were  ever  inflicted 
upon  the  slaves. 

At  this  work  I  continued  two  years,  from  my 
eleventh  to  my  thirteenth  birthday ;  and  I  wonder 
how  boys  of  the  present  day  would  like  a  similar 
course  of  work  and  instruction  to  prepare  them  for  the 
business  of  life. 

In  1853  my  brother  and  I  rejoined  my  father  at 
Port  Gibson,  Mississippi,  where  we  entered  as 
students  in  the  college  of  which  my  father  was  a 
professor.  This  involved  a  journey  of  upwards  of 
1600  miles,  and  the  descent  of  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers  from  Cincinatti,  Ohio,  to  Grand  Gulf, 
Miss. — a  river  voyage  of  seven  or  eight  days,  in 
terrible  heat,  with  mosquitoes  galore,  and  water 
to  drink  that  no  brute  or  dumb  animal  on  the  farm 
we  had  just  left  would  touch.  The  drinking  of  this 
water  to  a  Northerner  was  equivalent  to  a  "  bid  "  for 
fever  and  ague  and  other  ills.  However,  we  sur- 
vived the  heat,  mosquitoes,  and  the  foul  water. 

After  the  lapse  of  a  year  yellow  fever  broke  out, 
and  we  were  driven  out  of  Port  Gibson  into  the 
interior,  away  from  the  Mississippi  River,  to  a  slave 
plantation  called  "  Woodbine."  There  were  about 
300  negroes  on  the  estate.  Here  my  brother  and  I 

14 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

had  horses  and  ponies  placed  at  our  disposal,  and 
under  the  guidance  of  older  boys  we  quickly  learned 
to  ride  and  shoot.  We  greatly  enjoyed  our  visits  to 
the  negro  quarters,  and  their  songs,  music,  and 
dancing.  Our  shooting  was  nothing  more  serious 
than  the  killing  of  wild  ducks,  wild  pigeons,  and 
squirrels  ;  but  we  soon  became  quite  expert  in  the 
use  of  the  gun.  Coming  fresh  from  the  reading  of 
"  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  I  can  bear  my  testimony  to 
the  fact  that  there  was  neither  cruelty  nor  torture 
practised  at  this  large  plantation. 

At  the  end  of  four  months  my  father  received  a  call 
to  the  pastorate  of  the  second  Presbyterian  Church  in 
New  Orleans,  which  he  accepted. 

My  brother  then  left,  and  was  entered  as  a  student 
of  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey ;  while  I  accom- 
panied my  father  to  his  new  charge. 


CHAPTER    II 

My  Father  goes  to  England — I  take  his  Library  and  Effects  to  New 
York — My  First  Warehouse  Engagement — Manage  a  Branch 
at  Boston,  and  marry — Join  the  Firm  of  Demas  Barnes,  and 
travel — In  U.S.  and  Canada — I  canvass  the  Confederate  States 
— Instructions  for  a  Journey  in  California — "Create  a  Sensation" — 
My  Mustang  Ponies — Bankers  and  Credit — Novel  Identification 
— Return  to  New  York — The  Firm  of  Demas  Barnes  and  the 
Partners— The  Beecher-Tilton  Affair. 

IN  1855  my  father  resigned  the  pastorate  of  the 
church  at  New  Orleans,  and  proceeded  to  England 
for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  leaving  me  in  charge 
of  friends.  Towards  the  close  of  his  absence  he 
decided  to  return  to  America  via  New  York  instead 
of  New  Orleans,  and  I  received  instructions  to  pack 
his  library,  some  3000  volumes,  and  all  other  personal 
effects,  and  join  him  in  New  York.  As  I  was  then 
only  in  my  thirteenth  year  I  was  very  proud  of  this 
commission,  which  I  carried  out  without  any  hitch. 
I  remember  that  I  bought  suitable  cases,  packed  the 
whole  of  them,  arranged  freight  terms  by  steamer, 
and  conveyed  them  to  New  York,  a  voyage  of  1500 
miles,  reaching  that  city  on  4th  July  1855.  After 
meeting  my  father  at  the  house  of  my  uncle,  Edward 
Cowles  Richards,  in  New  York  my  future  career 
was  discussed  and  settled.  I  was  given  the  choice 
of  continuing  my  studies  at  school,  and  then  following 
my  brother's  example  by  entering  college,  as  he  had 

16 


JOHN   MORGAN    RICHARDS,   AT   NEW    ORLEANS,    LA.      AGE    12. 


CAYUGA  LAKE,  AURORA,  NEW  YORK. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

done,  or  training  for  a  commercial  life,  and  I  decided 
upon  the  latter  course.  The  responsibility  of  the 
maintenance  of  my  brother  and  myself  was  from  this 
period  assumed  by  my  uncle.  He  was  my  father's 
senior  by  ten  years,  had  no  children,  and  during 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  had  engaged  with  great 
success  in  the  importation  of  woollen  goods  from 
England  and  the  Continent ;  but  at  this  time  had 
retired  from  business,  with  a  high  character  for  hon- 
ourable dealing  as  a  merchant,  and  as  a  land-owner. 

His  great  kindness  to  those  members  of  his  family 
who  had  any  claim  upon  his  sympathies,  or  who  bore 
the  surname  of  Richards,  and  his  unwearied  benefi- 
cence on  their  behalf,  stands  unrivalled.  He  died 
25th  February  1880  at  New  York,  in  his  seventy- 
fourth  year,  and  was  buried  at  Auburn.  He  lived 
to  see  many  of  those  whom  he  assisted  in  early  life 
rise  to  honourable  positions. 

Within  four  weeks  of  my  arrival  in  New  York  I 
entered  upon  my  first  engagement  as  an  office-boy 
and  general  clerk,  in  an  agricultural  implement  and 
seed  warehouse  ;  for  which  my  previous  farming  ex- 
perience had  to  a  certain  extent  prepared  me.  The 
salary  at  first  was  but  $2.50  (IDS.)  a  week.  My 
Uncle  Edward  kindly  supplemented  this  sum  with 
sufficient  to  find  me  food  and  clothes.  After  the 
first  year  I  was  fortunately  able  to  obtain  a  salary 
I  could  live  upon  ;  and  after  my  sixteenth  year  had 
never  again  to  ask  pecuniary  aid.  I  remained  in  this 
warehouse  five  years,  and  in  1860,  in  my  nineteenth 
year,  was  appointed  by  the  firm  to  manage  a  branch 
B  17 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

of  their  business  in  Boston,  and  while  so  occupied 
the  Civil  War  broke  out.  While  in  Boston  I  had 
the  happiness  of  meeting  with  Laura  Hortense 
Arnold,  the  third  daughter  of  Captain  Seth  Harris 
Arnold  of  East  Boston,  who  became  my  wife  on 
3 ist  December  1863.  Captain  Arnold, came  origin- 
ally from  Mahone  Bay,  Shelburne  County,  Nova 
Scotia,  and  my  wife,  who  was  born  there,  was 
brought  thence  when  she  was  three  years  old.  Her 
grandfather  on  her  mother's  side  was  the  Honourable 
Peter  A.  Spearwater,  who  represented  Shelburne 
County,  in  the  Colonial  Parliament  at  Halifax  for 
twenty-five  years.  During  the  year  and  a  half  of  our 
acquaintance  she  paid  visits  to  members  of  my  family 
in  Connecticut,  and  in  New  York.  We  were  married 
at  Boston.  I  was  then  twenty-three  years  of  age. 

We  remained  in  Boston  for  a  year  after  our  mar- 
riage, and  in  1864  returned  to  New  York,  where 
I  entered  the  service  of  Messrs  Demas  Barnes  & 
Co.,  a  firm  occupying  a  very  high  position  in  the 
mercantile  world.  I  had  been  acting  for  them  in 
Boston  for  upwards  of  three  years,  on  commission 
terms,  as  an  adjunct  to  other  business  in  which  I  was 
engaged.  They  formed  an  opinion  that  they  could 
employ  my  whole  time,  and  proposed  a  permanent 
post  and  salary.  Mr  Demas  Barnes  was  a  very  re- 
markable man  of  business,  possessed  of  untiring  in- 
dustry, and  amazing  shrewdness,  who  had  the  rare 
gift  of  inspiring  all  about  him  with  confidence,  and 
winning  their  devotion. 

The  second  day  after  my  new  engagement  a  short 

18 


EDWARD  COWLES  RICHARDS. 


MRS.  ELIZABETH  BEALS  RICHARDS 

(From  a  pencil  drawing,   1845.) 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

journey  in  Canada  was  arranged  for  me  ;  after  which 
I  was  directed  to  visit  every  town  in  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Missouri — the  journey 
to  occupy  three  months. 

Mr  Barnes  said  to  me  :  "  Stop  at  every  town  in 
these  States  on  the  line  of  railway  where  there  is 
a  church  spire,  a  bank,  and  a  newspaper  office."  I 
carried  no  samples,  only  a  catalogue  containing  a 
price  list  of  about  1000  articles  in  which  the  firm 
dealt.  I  passed  from  town  to  town  by  rail  ;  but 
when  the  next  town  was  at  a  considerable  distance 
I  travelled  by  night,  and  so  economised  my  time. 
Wherever  I  stopped  I  always  lodged  at  first-class 
hotels -^-"  Commercial  Hotels"  were  unknown  in 
America.  The  firm  had  no  fixed  allowance  per  day 
for  their  travellers,  but  liberal  out-of-pocket  expenses 
were  paid.  I  remember  Mr  Barnes  saying  to  me  : 
"  The  firm  does  not  wish  to  make  money  out  of  your 
economies,  nor  may  you  make  profit  out  of  travelling 
expenses.  You  are  expected  to  render  a  careful 
account  of  all  expenditure."  My  expenses  averaged 
about  $8.00  a  day,  including  railway  fares.  There 
are  no  second  or  third  class  travelling  facilities  in 
the  United  States,  other  than  on  emigrant  trains. 
We  were  allowed  Pullman  cars  and  sleeping  berths  if 
we  travelled  at  night.  This  journey  was  regarded 
as  a  successful  one. 

During  the  following  two  years,  journeys  of  a 
similar  character  were  arranged  for  me,  upon  each 
of  which  I  found  my  experience  ripening ;  and  these 
continued  until  I  had  travelled  the  whole  of  the 

19 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

United    States,    from    Maine   to    Georgia,    over   and 
over  again. 

At  the  close  of  the  war — which  lasted  from  1861-65 
—  I  was  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  received  a 
telegram  from  Mr  Barnes  to  proceed  at  once  through 
the  Confederated  territory  of  Nashville  and  Chatta- 
nooga and  Memphis,  in  Tennessee.  These  towns 
had  been  laid  under  restrictions  of  travel  during  the 
war,  but  were  once  more  opened  to  Northern  travellers. 
I  was  authorised  to  use  my  own  discretion  in  dealing 
with  the  customers  I  might  discover.  Most  of  the 
old  firms  were  in  existence,  with  which  the  firm  had 
done  business  in  one  form  or  another,  though  many 
of  the  previous  proprietors  had  either  been  killed,  or 
wounded  during  the  war.  The  dealing  with  new 
men  required  much  caution  and  discretion.  I  was 
the  first  Northerner  in  our  business  who  had  ap- 
peared among  them  to  advertise  in  their  newspapers. 
I  was  regarded  with  some  suspicion  at  first,  but  I 
never  had  anything  unpleasant  said  to  me  ;  the  re- 
putation of  the  house  which  I  represented  was  quite 
sufficient  to  disarm  suspicion,  and  on  such  a  footing 
satisfactory  business  was  possible.  The  orders  which 
I  took  were  important,  and  the  newspapers  gave  ex- 
cellent terms  for  space,  and  expressed  themselves  well 
pleased  to  again  receive  Northern  support  for  their 
journals.  My  work  comprehended  a  good  deal  more 
than  selling  goods.  The  advertisements  had  to  be 
revised  and  adapted.  Separate  and  careful  accounts 
of  the  same  had  to  be  kept.  This  involved  much  care 
and  attention. 

20 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

Throughout  1865  I  was  continually  travelling,  ten 
months  being  so  occupied  out  of  the  twelve. 

In  February  1866  Mr  Barnes  requested  me  to 
undertake  a  journey  to  California,  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  although  this  would  involve  an  absence 
of  a  year  I  immediately  accepted  the  engagement. 
At  the  same  time  I  told  him  that,  upon  a  great 
journey  such  as  he  proposed,  I  thought  I  should  feel 
more  content,  and  accomplish  better  results  for  the 
firm,  if  my  wife  were  allowed  to  accompany  me. 
Without  a  moment's  hesitation  Mr  Barnes  said : 
"  Engage  passages  for  yourself  and  wife  at  our  ex- 
pense ;  we  will  pay  all  the  cost."  This  is  only 
one  out  of  many  instances  which  I  might  quote  in 
illustration  of  the  goodness  of  heart  which  regulated 
the  conduct  of  Mr  Barnes.  In  all  business  matters 
he  was  exact  and  strict,  and  his  instructions  were 
models  of  perspicuity,  full  of  shrewd  observation, 
and  exhibiting  a  grasp  of  every  detail,  which  was 
never  at  fault. 

In    illustration  of  what  I  say,   the  following  were 

my   instructions  upon  setting  out  upon  this  journey 

—omitting  only  a  few  details  about  the  prices,  and 

percentages,    and    credits,    upon    several    classes    of 

articles  ;    and  the  names  of  places  I  was  to  visit : — 

"NEW  YORK,  loth  February  1866. 

"  You  will  please  proceed  to  California  by  first 
steamer,  stopping  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  one 
week.  .  .  .  Your  first  business  is  to  advertise  in  all 
good  family  papers  possible.  Avoid  all  mining, 

21 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

scientific,  and  agricultural  journals.  Rely  princi- 
pally upon  religious,  secular,  and  literary  weeklies. 
It  will  hardly  pay  to  advertise  in  many  dailies.  San 
Francisco  and  Portland,  Oregon,  are  particularly  im- 
portant as  emanating  centres.  Contract  for  twelve 
months  on  best  terms  you  can — longest  settlements 
possible  —  probably  about  three  months.  Make 
arrangements  with  some  house  in  San  Francisco  to 
receive  your  duplicate  contracts.  Examine  newspaper 
vouchers,  and  pay  the  accounts  on  date  due.  In  all 
advertisements  say  *  Sold  by  all  dealers.'  Grant  no 
favours,  advertise  no  man  ;  we  expect  all  dealers  to 
sell  our  goods,  hence  the  majority  cannot  be  alienated 
for  the  benefit  of  a  few.  In  making  newspaper  con- 
tracts please  remember  you  are  not  limited  in  adver- 
tising to  any  amount  of  dollars.  '  Create  a  sensation.' 
"  The  Pacific  coast  is  without  many  railways,  and 
has  to  rely  upon  rivers  and  waggon  roads  for  trans- 
portation, hence  the  season  has  much  to  do  in 
determining  time  to  visit  the  different  places.  You 
will  arrive  in  San  Francisco  2Oth  March.  After 
getting  everything  organised  and  under  weigh,  visit 
following  towns  (a  list  of  which  was  given),  subject 
to  such  changes  as  we  may  advise  later.  Advise  me 
by  telegraph  once  a  month,  and  by  letter  twice  a 
month. — With  best  wishes,  etc." 

In  this  careful  and  thoughtful  manner,  out  of  his 
large  experience,  he  gave  me  the  wisest  counsel  at 
his  command.  My  wife  and  I  went  by  steamer  as 
directed,  disembarked  at  Aspinwall,  and  did  business 

22 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

there  and  at  Panama,  occupying  seven  days,  and 
caught  the  s.s.  Golden  City,  on  which  we  sailed  for 
San  Francisco.  The  trip,  including  the  time  spent 
on  the  Isthmus,  occupied  exactly  twenty-eight  days. 
This  was  the  ordinary  course  of  the  mail  service 
before  the  Pacific  Railway  was  constructed.  My 
introductory  work  in  San  Francisco  occupied  a 
month.  When  arranging  my  long  road  journey  into 
the  interior  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  should 
waste  a  great  amount  of  time  by  waiting  for  the  mail 
stage-coach  over  my  routes,  and  decided,  on  my  own 
responsibility,  to  purchase  a  pair  of  mustang  ponies 
and  a  suitable  four-wheeled  vehicle  of  sufficient  ca- 
pacity to  carry  my  advertising  materials  and  my 
assistant.  This  was  soon  accomplished.  I  found 
my  wife  a  good  home  with  a  private  family  in  San 
Francisco,  and  started.  The  principal  banking  busi- 
ness on  the  coast  at  that  period  was  not  done  with 
banks,  but  with  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  Express  Agents, 
who  had  offices  in  every  town  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
and  the  only  currency  was  gold  and  silver.  I  carried 
a  letter  of  credit  upon  which  I  could  draw  on  San 
Francisco  for  any  amount  I  required,  so  that  it  was 
only  necessary  for  me  to  carry  about  with  me  sufficient 
for  my  daily  needs. 

My  methods  of  identification  at  the  express  offices, 
when  any  question  was  raised,  was  to  bare  my  right 
arm,  and  exhibit  my  name,  which  was  tattooed  thereon. 
This  was  original,  but  never  failed  to  satisfy  the  most 
sceptical  cashier  with  whom  I  had  to  deal. 

Now  to  return  to  my  journey.  I  drove  the  mustang 

23 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

ponies  myself,  and  covered  during  my  tour  with  them 
over  2600  miles.  I  carried  out,  as  closely  as  possible, 
the  instructions  laid  down  in  Mr  Barnes'  letter.  This 
really  meant  visiting  every  town  and  mining  camp 
from  San  Diego  to  Fraser  River.  I  had  many 
interesting  experiences :  was  often  obliged  to  get 
shelter  for  the  night  in  the  most  primitive  of  inns  ; 
sleep  on  the  floor  in  a  room  with  a  dozen  miners 
and  teamsters  ;  partake  of  food  of  coarsest  description, 
badly  cooked ;  bar-rooms  open  all  night ;  drunken 
men  quarrelling,  and  sometimes  shooting  at  one 
another — in  fact,  "  roughing  it "  as  rough  as  is  possible 
to  imagine.  The  roads  were  good.  I  followed  the 
stage  routes  as  far  as  possible,  and  tried  always  to 
get  at  night  to  one  of  their  stations  to  sleep — if  I 
could  not  manage  a  town  or  camp.  The  Alkali  dust 
was  something  fearful  to  face.  I  wore  linen  overalls 
and  jackets,  above  my  woollen  clothing  to  protect  my- 
self, and  to  be  presentable  when  making  business 
calls. 

Northern  California  in  1866  was  a  wilderness  in 
contrast  with  the  condition  of  things  to-day.  Even 
then  the  larger  towns,  both  in  California  and  Nevada, 
were  well  laid  out,  and  had  many  fine  buildings, 
churches,  and  shops,  warehouses,  hotels,  and  flourish- 
ing newspapers.  The  gold  discovery  and  the  rush 
to  this  El  Dorado  was  in  1849.  This  was  seventeen 
years  later.  The  journey  was  an  important  one  from 
a  business  standpoint.  Mr  Barnes  had  not  in  the 
least  over-estimated  the  harvest  that  was  possible  to 
be  secured  for  his  firm.  After  reaching  Portland, 

24 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Oregon,  and  putting  the  ponies  to  feed  and  rest  for 
a  time,  I  sold  them  and  my  "  Concord  buggy "  to 
a  jobmaster  for  only  £10  less  than  I  paid  for  them. 
I  had  driven  them,  on  the  average,  twenty  miles  a 
day.  Before  starting,  the  ponies  had  been  well 
seasoned,  and,  I  think,  came  from  a  travelling  circus. 
I  accomplished  the  journey  in  one-third  less  time  than 
was  possible  by  mail-coach,  and  at  less  expense — no 
mishap  occurred  to  buggy,  ponies,  or  myself.  I  carried 
a  six-chambered  revolver  in  my  belt,  as  was  the  custom 
with  all  men  driving  on  the  road  or  engaged  in  min- 
ing, and  this  I  never  had  the  least  occasion  to  use. 
Once  the  weapon  was  jerked  from  my  belt,  while 
standing  in  a  saloon,  by  a  miner,  and  was  pointed 
at  a  man  with  whom  he  was  quarrelling.  No  firing 
took  place,  however,  and  the  revolver  was  returned 
to  me. 

From  Portland,  Oregon,  we  took  steamer  to  Victoria, 
in  British  Columbia ;  then  across  Puget  Sound  to 
Olympia  and  Seattle,  in  Washington  territory  ;  back 
to  Portland ;  thence  by  steamer  to  San  Francisco, 
cleared  up  all  business ;  and  took  steamer  to  New 
York,  via  Panama  and  Aspinwall,  making  no  stop,  and 
arrived  in  New  York  twenty-one  days  after  starting. 

I  was  complimented  on  the  success  of  my  journey, 
and  awarded  a  generous  advance  in  salary. 

At  the  period  of  my  joining  the  firm  of  Demas 
Barnes  &  Co.,  who  carried  on  business  at  21  Park 
Row,  New  York,  the  place  was  known  as  the  United 
States  Medicine  Warehouse,  and  the  firm  were  pro- 
prietors of,  or  agents  for,  or  had  upon  sale,  all  the 

25 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

principal  proprietary  medicines  of  the  day,  foreign 
and  domestic.  There  were  also  departments  for  the 
sale  of  druggists'  sundries,  for  perfumery,  and  for 
fancy  goods. 

The  firm  consisted  of  Demas  Barnes  and  William 
Porter  Ward;  but  at  the  time  I  left,  in  1867, 
there  were  five  partners,  with  a  branch  under  the 
name  of  Barnes,  Ward  &  Co.  trading  at  New 
Orleans ;  and  another  branch  trading  as  Barnes, 
Henry  &  Co.  in  Montreal,  Canada.  In  the  partner- 
ship there  were  Messrs  Barnes  &  Ward,  Mr  John 
F.  Henry,  Amos  G.  Torrey,  and  Brent  S.  H.  Good. 

I  am  bound  to  mention  that  this  firm  was  an  ex- 
ceptionally interesting  one  in  consequence  of  the 
unique  personality  of  the  founder,  and  the  remarkable 
talent  he  was  able  to  gather  about  him  as  partners 
and  workers — the  firm  not  merely  buying  or  manu- 
facturing goods  to  be  sold  at  a  trading  profit ;  but  the 
transactions  of  each  day  bringing  into  exercise  the 
best  mental  effort  and  genius  of  those  concerned. 

Mr  Demas  Barnes,  the  head  of  the  firm,  was  a 
self-made  man — a  strong  character  at  every  point. 
In  personal  appearance  he  was  above  medium  height, 
stood  very  upright,  possessed  piercing,  resolute,  deep- 
set  eyes,  and  high  forehead.  In  his  manner  he  was 
always  conciliatory,  if  not  plausible ;  and  especially 
courteous  and  agreeable  to  those  in  his  employ.  He 
was  prompt  in  deciding  questions  submitted  to  him 
of  every  character,  and  was  rarely  found  in  error 
on  a  business  point,  while  his  acumen  was  really 
phenomenal.  On  coming  to  a  decision  he  was  not 

26 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

easily  turned  away.  He  was  a  very  industrious  man, 
and  an  early  riser :  he  was  frequently  at  his  desk 
writing  letters  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  He 
made  a  rule  to  receive  as  few  calls  as  possible  at 
his  office,  on  social  or  political  matters.  All  such  ap- 
pointments were  fixed  by  him  at  his  private  residence 
before  breakfast,  or  after  dinner.  Correspondence 
by  dictation  or  the  use  of  typewriting  machines  was 
entirely  unknown  then,  and  so  was  the  use  of  the 
telephone.  All  letters  of  instruction  to  his  travellers 
he  took  upon  himself,  and  wrote  with  his  own  hand. 
I  remember  that  upon  one  occasion  when  I  went 
into  his  room  to  see  him  he  was  so  fatigued  that  he 
said  :  "I  do  not  wish  to  call  down  any  judgment 
upon  myself,  but  I  could  almost  hail  with  delight  if 
my  right  arm  were  paralysed,  so  that  I  could  escape 
the  necessity  of  further  writing,  I  am  so  tired."  All 
the  same,  when  away  from  New  York  travelling, 
he  found  time  to  correspond  with  newspapers  on 
topics  of  the  day  ;  and  wrote  several  books  upon  his 
travels  at  home  and  abroad.  Work  was  rest  to  him, 
and  he  never  absented  himself  from  the  office  will- 
ingly. Two  of  his  books  which  were  published  were 
entitled,  respectively,  "  From  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific,"  and  "  In  Search  of  Summer  Breezes  in 
Northern  Europe." 

Mr  Demas  Barnes,  after  his  election  to  Congress, 
became  part  proprietor  of  The  Brooklyn  Eagle,  one 
of  the  most  successful  daily  papers  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  After  his  retirement  from  commercial 
life  in  1870  he  started  The  Brooklyn  Argus,  a  daily 

27 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

morning  and  evening  paper.  This  was  never  a 
financial  success,  though  the  enterprise  and  energy 
he  threw  into  the  work  astonished  the  most  experi- 
enced newspaper  proprietors  in  the  country. 

One  incident  in  proof  of  this  may  be  mentioned. 
During  his  proprietorship  of  The  Argus  the  so-called 
confessions  of  Mrs  Theodore  Tilton  in  reference  to 
the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  were  made  by  her. 
The  MS.  was  brought  to  Mr  Barnes  at  ten  o'clock 
one  night.  He  at  once  gave  directions  that  the 
paper  should  not  be  put  to  press  until  he  gave  the 
word.  Repairing  to  the  residence  of  one  of  his 
leader-writers  he  roused  him  from  sleep  by  throwing 
gravel  at  his  bedroom  window.  A  short  conference 
followed.  Mr  Barnes  told  him  what  he  had  had 
offered  to  him,  and  the  price  put  upon  the  MS.,  and 
asked  what  he  should  do.  "Accept,"  was  the  laconic 
reply.  He  hurried  back  to  his  office,  and  set  the 
compositors  to  work,  and  next  morning  the  startling 
story  was  telegraphed  from  The  Argus,  throughout 
the  United  States  and  to  Europe.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  the  Beecher-Tilton  controversy. 

By  a  singular  coincidence,  when  in  1886  Mr 
Barnes  came  over  to  England,  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
and  his  wife  were  passengers  by  the  same  vessel. 

The  Argus  was  not  a  financial  success.  Mr 
Barnes,  though  editor,  did  not  secure  the  loyal  ser- 
vice of  his  writers.  They  were  too  independent, 
and  he  was  unable  to  control  or  guide  them.  In 
his  newspaper  enterprises  he  was  so  keen  that,  at 
the  age  of  fifty,  he  mastered  all  the  details  of  the 

28 


MAIN    STREET,    1'ENN    YAN,    NEW    YOEK. 


BEENT    GOOD. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

work,  the  mechanical  methods,  as  well  as  composing, 
imposing,  and  the  laying  on  and  taking  off  the  sheets. 
He  frequently  set  up  certain  paragraphs  which  he 
wanted  kept  secret  until  publication,  and  dropped  them 
into  the  forme  himself.  He  sold  his  shares  in  The 
Eagle  when  he  started  The  Argus ;  but  subsequently, 
thoroughly  discouraged  with  his  experience  as  a  pro- 
prietor and  editor  of  a  daily  paper,  he  sold  The  Argus 
for  a  mere  song,  which  was  then  incorporated  with 
another  paper  in  Brooklyn,  which  is  still  in  existence. 
His  pecuniary  loss  was  enormous  at  the  time  ;  but 
by  a  singular  turn  of  fortune  the  buildings  which  he 
purchased  for  the  production  of  The  Argus  became 
of  greatly  enhanced  value,  owing  to  their  proximity 
to  the  City  Hall  and  Law  Courts  ;  and  upon  selling 
the  property  he  more  than  recouped  his  loss  on  the 
newspaper  venture. 

Mr  William  Porter  Ward  was  to  some  extent  a 
protege  of  Mr  Barnes,  as  he  joined  the  firm,  in  the 
first  place,  as  one  of  the  office  staff.  Recognising  in 
him  the  supreme  quality  of  mastership  of  detail,  not 
only  in  stock  keeping  and  purchasing,  but  in  all 
matters  of  finance  and  accounts,  he  was  glad  to 
make  him  a  partner,  and  to  share  with  him  the  re- 
sponsibility of  success.  He  said  to  me  upon  one 
occasion  when  in  London,  Mr  Ward  could  manage 
the  Bank  of  England. 


CHAPTER   III 

I  get  Tired  of  Travelling — Resume  my  Road  Work  for  a  brief  Time — 
Engaged  by  Mr  Van  Duzer  to  represent  his  Firm  in  England — 
The  s.s.  Russia  —  Cunarders  in  1867  —  Reach  Liverpool,  and 
train  for  London — The  Langham  Hotel — Look  around  on  Sunday 
— Settle  down  to  Work — A  Copyright  Claim — My  First  Law-suit 
— My  Wife  rejoins  me — Madame  Tussaud's — Visit  America — 
Partnership  dissolved — Begin  Business  on  my  own  Account. 

HAVING  now  reached  my  twenty-sixth  year,  I  became 
quite  tired  of  travelling,  which  involved  long  absences 
from  home,  so  I  sought  an  interview  with  Mr  Barnes 
in  reference  to  my  future  position.  I  explained  to 
him  that  I  had  been  travelling  five  years,  and  had 
visited  all  important  places  in  Canada  and  the  United 
States  in  the  interests  of  his  firm,  and  that  I  desired 
to  have  a  post  assigned  me  in  the  advertising  depart- 
ment at  headquarters.  He  listened  attentively  to 
what  I  said,  declared  that  he  sympathised  with  my 
wishes,  but  pointed  out  that  there  was  no  vacancy 
in  the  establishment  where  I  could  be  suitably  placed, 
and  he  promised  that  if  I  would  be  patient,  the  time 
would  come  when  I  should  get  a  position  in  the  office, 
and  an  interest  in  the  business  also.  I  therefore 
resumed  my  road  work. 

On  returning  from  my  next  journey  one  of  the 
partners  told  me  that  Mr  S.  R.  Van  Duzer,  a  well- 
known  wholesale  druggist  in  New  York,  with  a  branch 

3° 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

business  in  London,  England,  had  called  that  day 
to  ask  if  they  had  anyone  they  could  recommend, 
as  an  advertising  and  sales  manager,  for  his  English 
branch,  who  could  sail  at  once.  My  name  was  men- 
tioned. Mr  Barnes  was  consulted  upon  the  question  ; 
then  I  was  interviewed  by  Mr  Van  Duzer ;  the  result 
was  that  I  was  engaged  to  go  to  London  immediately. 
Terms  were  embodied  in  a  provisional  agreement, 
and  I  sailed  with  Mr  Van  Duzer  for  England,  i3th 
November  1867,  on  the  Cunard  s.s.  Russia,  which 
was  at  that  time  considered  the  greyhound  of  the 
Atlantic. 

The  best  Atlantic  passage  of  thirty  years  ago  was 
made  by  the  City  of  Berlin,  which  reached  Queens- 
town  from  New  York,  in  October  1875,  in  seven 
days,  fifteen  hours — the  distance  being  2820  miles. 
This  record  was  beaten  in  1882  by  the  Alaska,  which 
covered  the  same  distance  in  six  days,  twenty-three 
hours. 

Here  I  must  pause  a  moment  to  mention  that  ten 
days  prior  to  my  sailing  for  England,  my  wife  gave 
birth  at  Boston,  Mass.,  to  her  first-born  child,  after- 
wards christened  Pearl. 

An  ocean  voyage  to  England  at  that  time  was 
regarded  as  quite  an  event.  The  travellers  were  few, 
and  limited  to  those  seeking  health  in  another  climate, 
and  men  engaged  in  business.  The  voyager  for 
recreation  or  pleasure  was  an  exception.  I  remember 
the  scenes  in  the  Cunard  Dock,  New  York,  when 
we  embarked.  Members  of  parting  families  seemed 
overcome  with  grief  and  apprehension.  Now,  although 

3* 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

moist  eyes  and  a  stray  tear  are  witnessed,  smiles  and 
cheers  predominate,  and  people  entrust  their  most 
precious  of  human  treasures,  their  best  beloved,  to 
strongly-made  ships,  experienced  and  skilful  captains, 
with  a  feeling  of  confidence,  which  is  a  great  relief. 

The  steamer  Russia  was  a  very  different  class  of 
vessel  to  those  of  the  present  day.  The  first-class 
dining-saloon  was  in  the  after-part  of  the  ship.  There 
were  no  state-rooms  much  above  the  water-line,  no 
music-room,  nor  lounge,  nor  smoking-room.  Those 
who  wished  to  smoke  had  to  go  on  deck,  near  the 
smoke-stack  for  warmth,  or  go  into  the  "  Fiddle,"  a 
deck-room  amidship.  There  were  coils  of  rope  here, 
and  hard  wood  benches,  and  not  more  than  ten 
could  enter  at  a  time. 

On  the  voyage  there  were  about  sixty  saloon  pas- 
sengers. The  food  was  wholesome,  and  the  service 
excellent,  but  no  attempt  was  made  at  an  elaborate 
menu.  There  were  no  electric  bells  to  call  the 
stewards  to  your  room  ;  no  light  in  state-room,  except 
a  fixed  lamp  set  in  the  partition,  and  controlled  from 
outside.  Stewards  were  called  by  shouting.  No 
steering  by  machinery — the  enormous  steering-wheel 
being  hand-worked  by  two  seamen.  No  speaking- 
tubes —  the  orders  "Port"  or  "  Starboard"  were 
passed  by  word  of  mouth  to  the  man  at  the  helm — 
and  sails  were  spread  to  supplement  the  steam  power. 

We  reached  Liverpool  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth 
day  from  New  York.  Proceeding  to  the  railway 
station,  Lime  Street,  we  booked  at  once  for  London. 
At  that  time  luggage  was  placed  on  the  roof  of  the 

32 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

carriage  in  which  one  travelled.  There  was  then  a 
six  hours'  journey  to  London. 

On  arrival  we  drove  to  the  Langham  Hotel, 
Portland  Place,  at  that  time  the  principal  hotel  in 
London,  and  favoured  with  the  largest  American 
patronage.  The  hotel,  however,  was  not  to  be 
compared  in  appointments  or  service  with  any  large 
hotel  of  any  important  city  in  America,  or  with  the 
"Langham"  itself  of  to-day.  All  the  guests  were 
lighted  to  bed  with  candles.  The  halls,  staircases,  and 
quarters  were  bitterly  cold,  and  there  was  no  heat- 
ing apparatus  of  any  kind.  There  were  grate  fires 
in  the  reception  and  reading  rooms.  I  never  re- 
membered to  have  suffered  from  cold  to  the  same 
extent  indoors  ;  the  chilliness  of  the  atmosphere  went 
right  to  the  bones.  The  coffee-room  would  compare 
favourably  with  the  chief  dining-room  of  a  Boston 
or  New  York  hotel  at  that  day.  In  the  street  at 
night  I  was  astonished  at  the  brilliancy  of  the  public 
houses ;  I  had  never  before  seen  such  miles  of  plate- 
glass  and  such  blazing  gas  chandeliers  in  any  part  of 
America.  The  four-wheeled  cabs  and  hansoms  were 
exactly  of  the  type  of  the  present  day,  except  for 
the  addition  of  rubber  tyres  now. 

Next  morning  I  was  curious  to  discover  what  an 
English  breakfast  was  like.  Before  ordering,  I 
watched  other  guests  settling  down  to  that  meal. 
I  was  interested  to  find  that  there  was  no  variation 
in  the  order  given — coffee  (or  tea),  with  toast,  bacon 
and  eggs,  was  the  cry  of  each.  The  eggs  were 
brought  in  either  poached  on  the  bacon,  or  in  egg- 
c  33 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

cups,  with  the  shells  unbroken,  not  broken  into  a 
glass  as  was  the  invariable  practice  in  America.  I 
was  astonished  to  see  the  egg  thus  eaten  out  of  the 
eggshell.  On  asking  for  ice  water,  I  was  informed 
"no  ice  supplied." 

That  beverage  is  an  absolute  essential  in  every 
part  of  the  United  States,  and  is  immediately  served 
at  each  meal  —  a  jug  of  ice  water  is  always  sent 
to  your  hotel  bedroom  in  answer  to  the  first  bell 
you  ring.  In  contrast  with  the  urgent  thirst 
habit  which  prevails  in  America,  one  ceases  to  be 
thirsty  in  England,  and  rarely  cares  to  drink  except 
with  meals.  I  doubt  if  the  average  Englishman 
drinks  a  gallon  of  water,  pure  and  simple,  in  a  whole 
year.  I  am  not  able  to  give  the  reason,  but  pos- 
sibly the  moisture  of  the  climate  allays  thirst.  An 
American  lady,  the  wife  of  an  Englishman,  told  me 
this  year  [1905]  that  her  father  could  not  be  persuaded 
to  visit  England  because  he  had  heard  that  ice  water 
was  never  served  in  hotels  unless  expressly  ordered, 
and  the  ice  charged  for  as  an  "  extra." 

Iced  champagne  is  an  American  innovation  ;  no 
one  in  England  served  wine  iced  twenty  years  ago. 
I  have  known  Americans  decline  iced  champagne 
during  this  period  as  "  not  English."  To-day  this 
is  the  universal  custom. 

Another  surprise  was  the  sideboard,  on  which  were 
placed  huge  joints  of  cold  meats  of  every  kind,  and 
I  noticed  that  some  of  the  guests,  after  eating  their 
eggs  and  bacon,  finished  up  with  a  slice  of  cold  meat, 
either  by  helping  themselves,  or  pointing  out  to  the 

34 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

carver  the  particular  cut  which  they  wanted.  There 
was  also  oatmeal  porridge  for  all  who  liked.  Of 
bread  there  were  only  two  kinds — white  and  brown ; 
while  in  America  there  were  never  fewer  than  four 
or  five,  including  hot  biscuits  and  Johnny  cake,  and, 
in  the  winter  months,  there  would  be  buckwheat  cakes 
and  fried  hominy.  I  soon  followed  the  lead  set  me, 
and  ordered  bacon  and  eggs.  I  am  bound  to  say  I 
liked  the  breakfast,  and,  so  far  as  breakfast  food  is 
concerned,  became  an  Englishman  at  once,  and  have 
remained  one. 

I  sauntered  early  out,  and  found  my  way  to  West- 
minster, looking  with  strange  delight  on  the  Abbey, 
the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  the  Bridge.  On  this 
walk  I  learned  my  first  lesson  as  to  the  difference 
of  dress  on  each  side  of  the  Atlantic.  I  was  wearing 
a  soft-felt  hat  and  a  military  cloak,  instead  of  a  top 
or  stiff  -  brimmed  hat,  and  a  tight  -  fitting  topcoat. 
People  eyed  me  curiously,  and  made  comments. 

We  attended  the  Tabernacle  at  Newington  Butts 
for  morning  service,  and  were  able  to  hear  the  simple 
oratory  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Spurgeon,  and  were  thrilled 
with  the  force  of  delivery  which  he  displayed.  There 
was  not  the  slightest  apparent  attempt  to  produce 
a  studied  effect. 

In  proof  of  the  immense  popularity  of  this  preacher, 
30,000  copies  of  his  sermons  were  sold  weekly  during 
his  lifetime;  and  in  1905  20,000  copies  of  his  books 
and  sermons  were  still  sold  every  week. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  hear  the  Rev.  J.  M. 
Bellew  at  Bloomsbury  Chapel,  who  had  a  consider- 

35 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

able  reputation  at  the  time  as  a  pulpit  orator ;  but  I 
considered  that  Spurgeon  had  by  far  the  better  pulpit 
manner,  and  was  a  more  interesting  preacher. 

As  soon  as  the  shops  were  opened  on  Monday 
morning  I  bought  a  bowler  hat  and  topcoat,  and 
found  that  my  appearance  did  not  attract  any  further 
special  attention. 

Mr  Van  Duzer  and  I  proceeded  early  to  his  ware- 
house in  Hoi  born.  I  carefully  went  through  the 
books,  and  at  the  end  of  a  week  he  asked  me  my 
opinion.  I  replied :  "  If  it  is  your  pleasure  I  will 
complete  the  provisional  agreement  as  originally  con- 
templated." This  was  done,  and  at  the  end  of  thirty 
days  I  was  left  in  full  charge  of  the  business.  Mr 
Van  Duzer  then  gave  me  full  freedom  of  action  to 
conduct  an  active  advertising  campaign,  and  soon 
after  he  sailed  for  New  York. 

Mrs  Richards  and  our  daughter  Pearl  joined  me 
three  months  later. 

At  the  end  of  two  years  I  had  acquired  a  partner- 
ship, with  a-third  interest  in  profits  :  that  was  accord- 
ing to  the  agreement  at  the  start,  and  was  contingent 
upon  certain  results  being  accomplished. 

The  style  of  the  firm  now  became  Van  Duzer 
and  Richards. 

That  people  in  London  are  quick  to  discern  differ- 
ences in  dress  was  again  amusingly  illustrated  by  a  little 
adventure  Mrs  Richards  and  I  had.  At  Easter  1868 
we  paid  a  visit  to  the  famous  exhibition  of  Madame 
Tussaud,  then  located  in  the  Portman  Rooms,  Baker 
Street.  There  was  an  enormous  crowd  of  visitors, 

36 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  I  noticed  that,  as  we  passed  along,  people  pointed 
and  talked,  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  laughing. 
I  did  not  suspect  at  first  that  we  were  the  object 
of  their  curiosity.  But  the  interest  and  excitement 
continued  from  room  to  room,  so  I  asked  the  door- 
keeper what  was  exciting  the  curiosity  and  mirth 
of  the  people.  He  at  once  replied:  "The  lady  is 
wearing  a  green  veil  over  her  hat  and  face,  which, 
in  London,  is  just  equivalent  to  shaking  a  red  rag 
in  the  face  of  a  bull,  and  suggests  that  you  are  members 
of  the  Fenian  Association."  This  was  about  the  time 
of  the  Fenian  outbreak  in  London  ;  and  we  decided 
to  retire  from  the  building,  for  fear  of  provoking 
something  more  serious. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  little  coffee  shops  on 
some  of  the  thoroughfares,  where  I  saw,  for  the  first 
time,  food  being  cooked  in  the  front  window  in  plain 
sight,  the  food  emitting  supposed  savoury  odours 
likely  to  whet  the  edge  of  one's  appetite.  I  refer  to 
the  fried  fish  and  cook  shops,  in  which  fried  fish,  eels, 
pork  chops  and  onions,  sausages  and  potatoes,  and 
batter  pudding,  were  thus  exhibited,  simmering  in 
hot  grease.  Little  tin  labels  would  be  displayed  on 
the  several  metal  dishes  inscribed  as  follows : — 
"  Sausage  and  Plain,  2d.  Sausage  and  Chips, 
3d."  etc.  etc. — the  "plain"  and  "chips"  meaning 
potatoes  baked  or  fried.  Then  there  were  the  shops 
for  "cooked  meats,"  where  a  carver  in  white  apron 
and  cap  was  waiting  to  serve  customers  with  slices  of 
cold  ham,  beef  and  tongue — all  sold  by  weight.  This 
enabled  one  to  take  home  to  his  own  table  cooked  and 

37 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

carved  meat,  just  as  one  would  call  at  the  baker's 
for  a  loaf  of  bread  or  cake.  Many  small  families, 
having  limited  cooking  arrangements,  send  out  joints 
of  meat  and  meat-pies,  also  puddings  and  tarts,  pre- 
pared for  the  oven  in  their  own  pans  and  basins, 
to  be  baked  at  the  baker's  shop,  a  small  fee  being 
charged.  I  also  came  across  the  "  Muffin  and 
Crumpet "  man  canvassing  in  residential  streets  in 
London,  attracting  attention  by  ringing  at  intervals 
a  little  "  tea-bell,"  and  shouting  "  Hot  Muffins  and 
Crumpets ! "  The  foregoing  are  London  institutions 
which  exist  to-day.  All  were  new  and  strange  to 
me. 

In  Boston,  Mass.,  many  families  send  out  to  the 
public  baker  the  pots  of  beans  and  brown  bread,  to  be 
baked  for  their  standard  Sunday  morning  breakfast. 

I  had  to  come  to  London  to  see  milk  served  at 
residences  by  a  milkman  or  woman,  walking,  wearing  a 
wooden  yoke  on  the  shoulders,  with  an  eight-gallon  tin 
can  suspended  from  each  end — the  costume  of  the 
milkman  being  the  old-fashioned  flowing  white  cotton 
smock,  with  the  collar  and  cuff  and  shoulder  portion 
gathered  in  pleats.  Then  there  were  to  be  seen  goats 
and  asses  led  about  to  residences  of  certain  customers, 
and  a  half  pint  or  more  milked  direct  from  the 
creatures — meaning  "the  real  thing;  no  adulteration." 
This  was  for  delicate  infants,  and  prescribed  by  the 
family  doctor. 

In  London  I  first  saw  the  Royal  Arms,  with 
the  words  "  By  Special  Appointment,"  emblazoned 
over  the  shop  entrances  of  those  holding  Royal 

38 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Warrants.  I  was  not  prepared  to  see,  but  I  did 
see  in  Portland  Road,  the  following : — "  Purveyor  of 
Asses'  Milk  to  the  Royal  Family." 

I  soon  observed  the  friendly  terms  existing  between 
the  London  omnibus  driver  and  conductor,  who 
always  address  each  other  as  "  Bill."  If  Driver 
"  Bill "  wished  to  communicate  with  Conductor  "  Bill," 
he  swishes  the  lash  of  his  whip  to  the  rear  of  the  bus, 
and  lightly  touches  "  Bill,"  who  stands  mounted  on  the 
"  monkey-board."  This  "  board  "  has  been  abandoned 
since  the  introduction  upon  all  London  omnibuses  of 
the  spiral  staircase  to  the  roof  in  place  of  a  ladder,  and 
"garden-seats"  in  place  of  the  old  "  knife  -board."  Now 
all  passengers  sit  facing  the  horses  instead  of  sideways. 
The  box-seats  alongside  of  the  driver  are  also  with- 
drawn. Conductor  "Bill"  mounts  the  steps,  and 
shouts  :  "  I  say,  Bill."  These  messages  to  and  fro  are 
not  always  intelligible  to  the  passenger.  I  heard  an 
amusing  explanation  given  by  the  driver  to  a  passenger 
on  the  following  message  being  shouted  to  him  : — 
"  Woman  on  horseback."  Whereupon  the  driver  gave 
the  whip  to  his  steeds.  "  What  does  he  mean?"  said 
the  passenger.  "Well  you  see,  sir,  that  lidy  who  just 
got  down  gave  Bill  a  half-a-sovering  for  a  sixpence." 

Taking  up  the  business  of  an  omnibus  driver  would 
seem  to  be  a  life  appointment  in  London  ;  and  once 
in  the  front  seat,  a  driver  very  rarely  abandons  the 
reins  again.  In  the  old  style  of  bus  there  were 
two  seats  provided  on  each  side  of  the  driver  for 
passengers,  and  these  were  always  regarded  by 
strangers  as  the  best  seats  for  viewing  London,  as 

39 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

well  as  hearing  the  most  amusing  accounts  of  men, 
women,  and  things  from  the  driver.  An  American 
visitor  in  such  a  position  is  always  impressed  by  the 
pleasant  chatter  which  he  hears,  and  the  entire 
absence  of  oaths,  or  any  kind  of  swearing.  The 
drivers  are  very  fond  of  chaffing  one  another  as  they 
draw  up  side  by  side  in  a  block  ;  or  they  make  un- 
pleasant remarks  about  some  fellow-driver's  handling  of 
the  reins.  As  the  fashion  of  the  bus  changes,  so  will 
the  character  of  the  language  used.  Thus  one  would 
say  :  "  Hallo  !  old  Garden  Roller !  " — being  a  refer- 
ence to  the  garden-seats  with  which  all  the  busses 
are  fitted.  The  reply  would  probably  be:  "  Oo  yer 
getting  at  ?  "  or  "  Wodder  you  think  ?  "  An  angry  ex- 
pression which  I  have  often  heard  is  :  "  Cum  orf  hit!" 
While  others  expressive  of  contempt  have  been  :  "'E 
ain't  no  class  !  "  and  "  Corl  'im  a  gent !  " 

Our  first  home  in  London  was  a  furnished  house 
near  Kennington  Gate,  and  here  we  resided  until 
January  1869.  In  1870  I  took  the  lease  of  a  house 
in  Upper  Woburn  Place,  Tavistock  Square,  for  a 
dwelling.  During  our  residence  here  three  sons  were 
born  :  Edward  Cowles,  in  1870,  who  died  in  his  second 
year ;  John  Morgan,  and  Nelson. 

During  the  first  three  or  four  years  of  our  residence 
in  London  we  made  few  English  acquaintances,  but 
some  of  our  American  friends  and  relatives  were 
frequently  passing  through  London,  and  called.  I 
gave  my  whole  time,  early  and  late,  to  the  work,  in 
which  I  was  greatly  interested. 

Almost  the  first  American  visitor  to  come  was  Mr 

40 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Brent  Good,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Demas  Barnes 
and  Co.  He  spent  two  or  three  weeks  in  London. 
Since  that  visit  Mr  Good  has  crossed  the  Atlantic 
sixty  times,  and  has  been  a  constant  visitor,  up  to 
the  present  year.  We  have  had  a  most  happy 
social  and  business  association  for  many  years.  In 
1872  Mr  and  Mrs  Demas  Barnes  came  over  to 
England  on  their  first  visit,  when  he  renewed  a 
proposition  previously  made  in  several  letters,  that 
I  should  rejoin  him  in  business  in  New  York. 

I  had  quite  a  flood  of  visitors  in  1873,  which  in- 
cluded Mr  and  Mrs  Barnes  once  more.  This  year, 
soon  after  the  death  of  our  son,  Mrs  Van  Duzer  invited 
my  wife,  Pearl,  and  myself  to  pay  them  a  visit  in  New 
York,  which  we  accepted,  this  being  our  first  sight 
of  America  since  1867-8. 

The  London  business  continued  to  improve  from 
year  to  year,  and  about  1875,  as  the  result  of  negotia- 
tions with  Mr  Van  Duzer,  I  renounced  my  interest 
in  the  goodwill  and  partnership  upon  certain  terms  ; 
and  taking  newly-built  premises  at  the  corner  of 
Great  Russell  Street  and  Charlotte  Street,  Blooms- 
bury,  called  Great  Russell  Buildings,  began  business 
in  my  own  name. 

When  I  first  began  to  advertise  in  England,  any 
novelty  in  the  way  of  presenting  one's  business  was 
then,  as  now,  regarded  as  desirable,  and  I  was  desirous 
of  making  an  experiment  which  I  had  some  con- 
fidence would  be  successful.  This  was  soon  after 
the  death  of  Artemus  Ward,  the  American  humorist 
who  had  contributed  a  series  of  articles  to  Punch, 

41 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

which  were  afterwards  collected  in  a  small  volume, 
published  by  Mr  J.  Camden  Hotten  of  Piccadilly. 
I  wrote  to  Mr  Hotten,  and  asked  permission  to 
make  extracts  from  some  of  Artemus  Ward's  articles 
as  an  advertisement  pamphlet,  and  explained  that 
I  wanted  to  cut  freely  from  the  chapters,  and  inter- 
leave the  same  with  advertisements  of  the  proprietary 
articles  in  which  I  was  interested.  His  reply  to 
my  letter  was  in  the  following  words  : — "  You  have 
my  hearty  consent  to  do  exactly  what  you  have 
stated  in  your  letter."  Upon  this  I  proceeded,  and 
possibly  exceeded  what  Mr  Hotten  intended.  I 
printed  two  whole  chapters  of  Artemus  Ward — his 
visit  to  the  British  Museum  and  to  the  Tower  of 
London — and  also  gave  extracts  from  several  of  the 
other  articles.  I  went  to  press  with  the  pamphlet 
to  the  extent  of  over  100,000  copies,  which  I  pro- 
ceeded to  distribute  amongst  the  public.  To  my 
surprise,  within  a  week  of  issue  I  received  a  letter 
from  the  solicitors  of  Mr  Hotten,  calling  upon  me 
for  damages,  and  insisting  that  I  should  immediately 
withdraw  the  pamphlet  from  circulation.  After  a 
vain  attempt  to  see  Mr  Hotten  I  compromised  the 
matter  by  paying  ^50  as  damages  and  destroying 
such  of  the  pamphlets  as  had  not  been  circulated. 
Mr  Hotten  founded  these  proceedings  upon  the  fact 
that,  while  I  asked  only  for  permission  to  make  ex- 
tracts, what  I  had  really  done  was  to  quote  two 
entire  chapters.  Since  then  I  have  acted  more 
cautiously. 

Within   a   year   after   this    incident    I   was    waited 

42 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

upon  by  a  firm  of  advertising  agents,  who  made 
proposals  to  me  for  a  certain  space  in  a  selected 
list  of  English,  Irish,  and  Scottish  papers,  the  con- 
dition of  acceptance  being  that  there  was  to  be  a 
uniform  price  throughout  all  the  papers.  The  posi- 
tion of  each  advertisement  was  clearly  stated,  and 
the  space  they  were  to  occupy,  and  a  contract  em- 
bodying these  points  was  drawn  up  and  signed. 
At  the  end  of  the  quarter,  on  presenting  their  account, 
I  found  that  they  had  inserted  the  advertisements 
in  all  of  the  cheap  and  unimportant  papers,  and  had 
omitted  to  do  so  in  papers  named  of  large  circulation 
and  important  standing.  The  price  agreed  upon 
being  an  average  one,  I  considered  that  I  was  right 
in  refusing  to  pay  until  the  advertisements  had  ap- 
peared in  each  of  the  mediums  agreed  upon,  a  clause 
being  inserted  in  my  agreement  to  this  effect,  and 
that  there  should  be  no  exemption  unless  publication 
of  that  particular  newspaper  had  ceased.  I  was 
immediately  served  with  a  writ,  and  by  representing 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  likely  to  leave  the  country, 
a  lien  was  placed  on  my  banking  account.  The 
manager  of  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank  told 
me  what  had  taken  place,  but  courteously  informed 
me  that  he  would,  nevertheless,  continue  to  honour 
my  cheques.  By  giving  bonds,  however,  I  had  the 
order  removed  within  twenty-four  hours.  At  the 
trial  of  the  action  the  matter  was  referred  by  the 
judge  for  examination  of  the  papers,  and  eventually 
I  was  ordered  to  pay  contract  price  for  every  paper 
in  which  the  advertisement  appeared,  notwithstanding 

43 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  proviso  that  the  appearance  in  any  one  was  de- 
pendent upon  the  same  advertisement  appearing  in 
all,  which,  the  referee  held,  was  what  the  plaintiff 
could  not  possibly  carry  out.  I  therefore  paid  con- 
tract price  for  what  was  inserted,  and  the  law  costs. 
These  were  the  only  two  instances  which  occurred 
in  my  advertising  career,  during  thirty-eight  years, 
in  which  I  had  any  dispute  with  an  owner  of  a 
copyright,  or  an  advertising  agent. 

This  firm  of  agents  were  quite  unknown  by  adver- 
tisers, and  ceased  to  exist  more  than  thirty  years  ago. 
My  relations  with  advertising  agents  in  England  have 
been  of  the  most  satisfactory  character.  My  first 
business  was  done  through  Mr  Richard  Crossley  in 
1867.  On  his  death,  two  years  later,  his  son,  Mr 
Charles  R.  Crossley,  succeeded  him — a  man  of  my 
own  age ;  and  Messrs  Crossley  &  Co.  have  placed 
the  chief  part  of  my  newspaper  advertising  to  this 
day. 

My  experience  has  been  that  it  is  unwise  to  yield 
to  any  temptation  in  the  way  of  very  low  prices,  and 
offers  of  exceptional  advantages,  offered  by  firms 
whose  standing  will  not  bear  the  test  of  careful  refer- 
ences and  inquiry  :  in  the  case  of  agents  with  small 
capital,  and  printers  with  insufficient  means,  the  result 
is  nearly  always  disappointing.  The  least  delay  in 
payment  to  the  papers  causes  the  advertisement  to  be 
left  out  by  the  publisher  ;  and  in  printing,  if  workman- 
ship and  paper  are  not  up  to  sample  and  agreement, 
they  are  unable  to  bear  the  loss  involved  by  a  return 
of  goods,  and  beg  for  mercy. 

44 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

The  very  reasonable  practice  of  the  advertiser,  to 
turn  to  good  account  any  event  of  the  day,  whereby 
to  bring  into  further  notice  any  speciality,  has  amus- 
ing illustration  in  September  1905  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  Treaty  of  Portsmouth  between  Russia  and  Japan. 
The  pen  manufacturers  from  every  corner  of  the  earth 
addressed  samples  of  their  wares  to  the  Plenipotenti- 
aries, each  hoping  that  his  particular  handiwork  might 
be  immortalised  as  the  pen  that  was  mightier  than  the 
Far  Eastern  sword.  High  diplomacy  has  happily 
proved  equal  to  the  task  of  contriving  a  way  out  of 
the  difficulty  by  using  QUILLS. 


45 


CHAPTER  IV 

Proprietary  Business  and  Advertising — English  Editors  and  their  Ad- 
vertising Columns — Sale  of  Plantation  Bitters — A  Cute  American 
— River  Scenery — A  Puzzling  Advertisement — Advertising  Fire- 
works—Taxing Proprietary  Articles — Pirating  English  Medicines 
— A  New  Fascination — Mr  Lever's  View — United  States  for 
Machinery — England  for  Cabinet  Work — American  Boots  and 
Shoes. 

To  more  clearly  explain  the  nature  of  the  business 
which  I  had  surrendered,  and  was  now  taking  up 
on  my  own  account,  I  should  state  that  this  was 
what  is  known  as  a  Proprietary  one — the  results  of 
which  depended  upon  the  intrinsic  merit  of  the  article, 
real  usefulness,  and  publicity.  My  chief  training  in 
the  United  States  was  the  preparation  of  advertise- 
ments, and  the  issue  of  advertisement  literature 
as  belonged  to  the  publication  department  of  such  a 
business.  Following  out  this  experience,  I  set  to 
work  in  London  on  a  poster  for  wall  space,  and 
devised  the  first  sixteen-sheet  double  demy  poster 
ever  seen  in  England  in  connection  with  a  proprietary 
article.  My  next  work  was  to  endeavour  to  bring 
London  and  Provincial  newspapers  to  allow  display 
advertisements  such  as  were  appearing  in  American 
journals,  and  to  give  further  facilities  to  large 
advertisers.  This  was  a  difficult  task,  and  a  sad 
disappointment,  so  strongly  were  the  newspaper  pro- 
prietors ensconced  behind  the  barriers  of  what  they 

46 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

considered  to  be  the  proper  and  seemly  method  of 
English  advertising.  The  Illustrated  London  News 
was  the  first  to  grant  the  privilege  of  inserting  an 
illustrated  advertisement  with  blocks.  No  daily  paper 
would  at  that  time  accept  "copy"  which  they  did 
not  first  edit,  and  in  some  important  papers  no  ad- 
vertisement was  accepted  without  prepayment  being 
made.  In  The  Times  the  form  of  setting  up  an 
advertisement  was  subject  to  many  restrictions.  A 
repetition  of  the  same  words  line  after  line  would 
not  be  received,  but  the  regulation  was  insisted  upon 
that  each  such  line  should  be  followed  by  explana- 
tory matter.  No  two  lines  exactly  alike  could  ap- 
pear in  any  advertisement,  even  though  a  column  in 
length,  and  costing  ^20  per  insertion.  In  illustra- 
tion, if  you  wanted  a  column  advertisement  about 
cocoa,  as  soon  as  the  word  appeared  in  a  line  there 
must  follow  different  explanatory  or  descriptive  words, 
as  "  Grateful,  Comforting."  Nothing  whatever  in 
the  way  of  display  was  allowable.  Enormous  changes 
have  occurred  since  this  time,  as  The  Times>  as  well 
as  all  other  London  journals,  morning  and  evening, 
now  admit  display  blocks  of  the  largest  and  boldest 
character,  and  know  their  value.  The  old-fashioned 
system  was  regulated  by  the  conservative  taste  of 
the  editor ;  and  not  with  a  view  to  fall  in  with  the 
wishes  of  the  advertiser.  Now  that  policy  is  exactly 
reversed.  The  wishes  of  the  advertiser  regulate  the 
character  of  the  display  made  in  the  advertising 
columns.  In  conjunction  with  another  American 
firm  I  believe  I  was  the  first  to  engage  a  full  ad- 

47 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

vertisement  column  in  a  single  issue  of  a  London 
daily,  and  a  whole  back  page  of  several  London 
weeklies.  I  do  remember  that  Messrs  Pears,  Bryant 
and  May,  and  Epps  did  occupy  the  back  pages  of  Punch 
occasionally.  This  was  no  novelty  in  the  United 
States  at  that  day,  nor  is  this  now  in  England.  Full 
pages  in  both  dailies  and  weeklies  are  in  constant 
evidence. 

A  great  deal  depends  upon  the  way  in  which  an 
article  is  advertised  whether  the  object  desired  is 
attained.  An  amusing  illustration  of  this  came  under 
my  own  notice.  A  friend  lost  his  umbrella  at  church, 
and  advertised  in  the  usual  way,  saying  the  finder 
would  be  rewarded  ;  but  this  was  quite  a  failure  :  the 
umbrella  was  not  forthcoming.  Taking  the  advice 
of  a  journalist,  he  advertised  again,  but  in  a  different 
form.  The  new  advertisement  read  as  follows: — "  If 
the  gentleman  who  was  seen  to  take  a  silver-handled 

umbrella  from  St  Church  on  Sunday  attaches 

any  value  to  the  Christian  character  he  has  hitherto 
borne,  he  will  return  the  article  immediately  to  No. 

Street.  He  is  known."  Within  three  days 

twelve  umbrellas  were  sent  to  his  house,  several  with 
notes — apologising  for  the  inadvertence. 

Before  the  early  seventies,  in  the  United  States, 
posters  in  colours  or  of  large  dimensions  were  almost 
unknown,  and  the  only  coloured  posters  which  I  can 
remember  were  those  issued  by  the  managers  of 
circus  companies.  Commercial  posters  rarely  ex- 
ceeded a  two-sheet  double  demy,  with  words  in  black 
letters  on  a  white  ground.  There  was  then  no  system 

48 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

of  protected  stations,  and  posting  was  done  with  the 
knowledge  that  possibly  the  poster  would  be  covered 
up  within  twenty  -  four  hours.  Posting  was  then 
usually  done  at  night,  to  avoid  the  possibility  of 
encountering  an  opponent. 

A  common  form  of  posting  in  the  United  States 
was  called  "  Gutter  Snipes."  These  were  composed 
of  narrow  strips  of  paper,  from  two  to  three  feet  in 
length,  which  would  be  found  in  a  morning  lining  the 
gutters  the  entire  length  of  Broadway  from  the 
Water-works  to  the  Battery. 

The  Bill  posters  of  England  at  that  time  were 
greatly  in  advance  of  those  practising  in  the  United 
States.  The  "  Snipes  "  in  the  gutter  would  probably 
disappear  about  midday  ;  but  before  that  hour  every 
foot  passenger,  and  everyone  riding  along  the 
thoroughfare,  would  have  read,  and  remembered 
what  was  advertised. 

London  hoardings  at  the  present  day  exhibit  picture 
posters  which  have  been  designed  by  many  of  the 
most  eminent  painters  of  the  day,  including  a  number 
of  Royal  Academicians  ;  at  the  same  time,  the  fact 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  pictures  were 
not  originally  intended  for  advertisements.  Many  of 
the  large  protected  hoardings  in  London  thorough- 
fares measure  from  300  to  400  feet  in  length.  In 
fact,  as  soon  as  ever  a  new  building  site  is  taken,  or 
a  street  improvement  is  entered  upon,  an  advertise- 
ment contractor  will  at  once  secure  the  hoarding 
space  to  let  to  advertisers ;  and  the  contract  is  usually 
based  upon  a  fixed  price  per  sheet  per  week. 
D  49 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

"  Art "  in  advertising  is,  therefore,  a  correct  expres- 
sion to  use  in  describing  the  artistic  work  carried  out 
in  the  advertisements  which  cover  street  hoardings. 
The  showcards  also  which  are  seen  in  shop  windows 
bear  the  hall  mark  of  high  artistic  merit.  I  have 
never  seen  in  the  United  States,  or  in  any  city  upon 
the  Continent,  any  posters  which  can  compare  with 
the  artistic  elegance  of  those  which  are  displayed 
upon  hoardings  in  the  streets  of  the  metropolis. 
This  survey  also  includes  shop  windows,  hotel  walls, 
omnibuses,  street  cars,  railway  approaches,  and  rail- 
way stations.  The  art  of  designing  a  poster  is  worthy 
of  the  highest  gifts  of  a  modern  painter. 

Bill-posting  contractors  of  the  present  day  now  form 
an  important  section  of  the  advertising  trade,  and 
have  a  very  large  capital  invested  in  the  business. 

The  income  derived  by  omnibus  and  tramway 
companies  from  their  advertising  spaces  forms  a 
large  part  of  their  revenue,  and  swells  the  dividends 
paid  to  the  shareholders. 

At  the  present  moment  search  is  being  made  for 
some  metal  other  than  iron  for  display  signs  which 
would  be  lighter  for  the  omnibuses  to  carry. 

In  the  street  Omnibus  traffic  there  is  room  for  great 
improvement  in  the  indication  of  routes  which  they 
carry  on  their  sides.  London  is  probably  the  only 
city  in  the  world  which  gives  the  names  of  public- 
houses  as  the  starting  -  places  and  termini  of  these 
public  vehicles  :  the  Angel,  Mother  Red  Cap, 
Elephant  and  Castle,  and  Swiss  Cottage  are  only  a 
few  which  may  be  quoted  as  examples  in  point. 

50 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

Much  amusement  is  often  enjoyed  by  strangers  at 
hearing  the  manner  in  which  conductors  shout  out 
the  names  of  well-known  places  :  thus  the  Bank  is 
always  "  Benk,"  Westminster  is  "Minster"  or 
"Habbey,"  and  Victoria  Station  never  anything 
else  but  "  Toria." 

As  to  the  value  of  Advertising,  an  interesting  illus- 
tration recurs  to  mind.  When  in  the  service  of 
Demas  Barnes  &  Co.  I  was  among  other  things 
advertising  and  selling  "  Plantation  Bitters,"  which 
is  a  specific  for  fever,  ague,  and  other  ills  arising 
from  climatic  influences.  I  was  in  Boston  at  the 
time,  and,  having  full  liberty  in  the  matter  of  adver- 
tising, I  ordered  column  and  half-column  advertise- 
ments in  all  the  principal  daily  and  weekly  papers 
in  the  city,  and  the  neighbourhood,  This  was  kept 
up  for  a  month,  and  I  remained  on  the  spot  to  watch 
the  result,  all  the  time  canvassing  the  trade  to  obtain 
orders.  At  the  end  of  the  month  I  was  so  discouraged 
by  what  orders  came  in  that  I  wrote  to  Mr  Barnes, 
telling  him  that,  as  all  my  previous  experiences  ap- 
peared to  be  contradicted  by  orders  in  this  case,  I  was 
of  opinion  that  the  article  advertised  was  not  likely  to 
be  successful  "  Down  East,"  and  suggested  that  I 
should  cease  advertising.  This  happened  to  be  in 
the  beginning  of  July,  and  the  answer  I  received  from 
Mr  Barnes  was  practically  in  the  following  words  : — 
'  You  will  please  renew  the  advertisements,  taking 
double  the  amount  of  space  in  every  medium  now 
under  contract  in  Boston.  Please  also  arrange  with 
the  authorities  having  charge  of  the  illuminations  on 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  evening  of  Independence  Day  on  Boston  Common, 
to  be  allowed  to  display  three  large  pieces  containing 
the  name  of  the  article  you  are  advertising,  at  an 
expense  of  ^150  to  ^200.  I  am  in  no  way  dis- 
couraged by  what  you  have  accomplished.  In  about 
four  weeks  the  State  of  Massachusetts  will  require 
'Plantation  Bitters.'" 

His  prediction  was  absolutely  correct,  and  I  was 
able  before  the  month  was  out  to  take  important 
orders  from  all  the  leading  houses  in  the  trade  ;  and 
was  welcomed  by  certain  establishments  where  a 
month  previously  I  had  almost  had  the  door  closed 
in  my  face. 

This  article  was  first  largely  advertised  throughout 
the  United  States  in  the  fall  of  1861,  and  rapidly 
became  the  success  of  the  day,  because  of  the  enormous 
amount  of  placarding  given  to  the  cabalistic  characters 
"S — T — 1860 — X,"  which  was  a  description  of  the 
medicine.  Those  strange  letters  and  figures  stared 
upon  the  people  from  wall  and  fence  and  tree,  in 
every  leading  town  throughout  the  United  States. 
They  were  painted  on  the  rocks  of  the  Hudson  River 
to  such  an  extent  that  the  attention  of  the  Legislature 
was  drawn  to  the  fact,  and  a  law  was  passed  to 
prevent  the  further  disfigurement  of  river  scenery. 
Naturally,  comment  and  inquiry  arose,  and  people 
were  invited  to  make  guesses  as  to  what  the  letters 
and  figures  meant.  The  result  was  that  newspapers 
teemed  with  attempted  solutions,  some  of  which  were 
very  amusing.  Thus  one  was  "  Started  Trade  in 
1860  with  $10,"  but  no  one  hit  upon  the  correct 

52 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

solution.  The  fact  was  that  the  basis  of  Plantation 
Bitters  was  "  St  Croix  Rum,"  and  the  casks  in  which 
this  rum  was  imported  were  marked  "  S — T  "  for 
"Saint";  then  the  year  of  importation  1860 — and 
then  "  X,"  the  last  letter  of  the  word  "  Croix  " — which 
meant  that  it  was  St  Croix  Rum  of  the  vintage  of 
1860.  That  was  a  device  of  Mr  Barnes  to  advertise 
the  mixture  and  puzzle  the  people. 

No  article  at  that  period  ever  received  the  same 
amount  of  publicity  and  achieved  so  gigantic  a  sale. 
"Plantation  Bitters"  was  billed  in  the  Sutlers'  de- 
partments in  all  the  armies  of  the  North,  and  implicit 
faith  grew  up  in  the  specific.  The  outlay  on  advertis- 
ing was  enormous,  but  the  results  were  prodigious. 
In  a  single  year  the  sale  ran  up  to  thousands  of 
dozens.  The  Bitters  were  placed  in  corrugated  dark 
amber  glass  bottles,  resembling  the  old  plantation 
log  cabin ;  and  the  labels  and  printed  matter  sur- 
rounding the  bottles  were  the  special  work  of 
Mr  Barnes.  In  fact,  every  word  which  was  written, 
every  advertisement  used,  and  every  showcard  pro- 
duced, were  under  his  direction,  or  suggested  and 
revised  by  him.  This  illustrates  the  thoroughness 
with  which  he  entered  into  the  business  which  fell 
into  his  hands. 

The  Government  of  the  United  States  was  not 
slow  to  appreciate  the  importance  of  the  trade  which 
had  grown  up  in  the  proprietary  medicines,  and  during 
the  Civil  War  a  stamp  tax  was  levied  on  all  advertised 
medicines  which  produced  a  large  income,  and  was 
continued  until  1884.  In  that  year  a  committee  [of 

53 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

which  Mr  Brent  Good,  of  the  firm  of  Demas  Barnes, 
was  a  member]  succeeded  in  inducing  the  Congress 
to  abolish  the  impost ;  but  a  similar  tax  was  imposed 
during  the  Spanish  War,  which  was  abolished  when 
the  campaign  terminated.  All  proprietary  articles, 
as  well  as  perfumery,  were  included  in  the  list  of 
articles  so  taxed. 

Proprietors  were  allowed,  contrary  to  English 
regulations,  to  get  up  designs  of  their  own  for 
stamp  duty,  which,  of  course,  had  to  be  adapted  to 
the  size  of  the  article  sold.  The  stamp  used  by  the 
firm  of  Messrs  Demas  Barnes  bore  his  own  portrait, 
names  of  the  various  articles  controlled,  and  was 
printed  on  bank-note  paper,  being  engraved  by  the 
American  Bank-note  Company.  The  Government 
received  a  fee  of  1000  dollars  (^200)  for  engrav- 
ing the  plate,  but  made  no  charge  for  printing. 

Many  popular  English  medicines  were  imitated 
and  sold  in  the  United  States  at  this  time,  having 
a  forged  English  stamp  thereon.  I  personally  called 
the  attention  of  the  Board  of  Inland  Revenue  at 
Somerset  House  to  this  fact,  and  furnished  them 
with  examples  of  the  counterfeits  so  used.  The 
reply  I  received  was  that  the  matter  did  not  concern 
the  English  Board  of  Revenue ;  that  if  the  pro- 
prietors of  such  forged  articles  were  interested  they 
should  take  action,  and  the  Board  would  thereby  be 
protected.  One  medicine  so  pirated  was  Holloway's 
Ointment  and  Pills.  The  sale  became  very  large,  and 
the  original  proprietor  has  now  lost  his  sole  control 
of  the  copyright  in  America. 

54 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

In  the  United  States  there  is  no  prejudice  against 
the  advertising  of  medicines ;  but  at  one  time,  in 
England,  there  was  an  apparent  misconception  as  to 
the  value  of  proprietary  articles  which  are  advertised  ; 
many  holding  the  opinion  that  the  advertisement 
sells  the  article,  and  not  the  merit  of  the  medicine. 

Those  who  have  been  engaged  in  advertising 
campaigns  know  that  nothing  is  more  wasteful,  or 
would  lead  more  quickly  to  financial  ruin,  than  a 
large  expenditure  upon  a  worthless  article.  No 
proprietary  article  has  any  lasting  value,  nor  en- 
riches the  inventor,  unless  possessing  undoubted 
merit,  and  which,  in  a  marked  degree,  accomplishes 
the  purpose  stated.  No  single  purchase  would  repay 
the  proprietor  of  an  article,  but  the  renewed 
purchases  after  use ;  and  the  recommendation  of 
those  who  have  bought  once,  creates  the  demand, 
and  ensures  success.  This  is  the  history  of  every 
patent  medicine  and  proprietary  article  of  renown 
in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

Out  of  the  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of 
proprietary  articles  issued  in  different  parts  of  the 
world,  there  are  said  to  be  really  less  than  1000 
which  are  successful ;  and  possibly  those  upon  which 
great  fortunes  have  been  made  may  be  counted 
upon  the  fingers  of  both  hands. 

The  method  of  judging  the  value  of  a  new 
invention  is,  having  made  a  certain  outlay  on 
advertising,  to  mark  the  indications  of  results  in 
various  directions,  and  if  they  are  not  up  to  a 
particular  standard,  then  the  result  is  not  satis- 

55 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

factory — either  the  public  do  not  require  the  article, 
or  the  advertising  has  not  been  properly  arranged. 
Misplaced  efforts  of  the  latter  class  would  enrich  the 
newspaper  proprietor  and  printer,  but  beggar  the 
owner  of  the  article.  Things  which  are  most  largely 
advertised  are  usually  well  worth  buying. 

An  expert  would  undertake  to  definitely  pronounce 
as  to  the  success  or  failure  of  any  article  advertised 
provided  the  following  facts  were  submitted  to  him  : — 
Evidence  as  to  the  actual  merits  ;  the  advertisement 
which  is  being  placed  ;  the  extent  of  advertising  ;  the 
papers  used  ;  the  districts  covered  ;  the  actual  amount 
of  money  expended  during  the  first  three  months  ; 
a  correct  list  of  each  sale  effected ;  and  the  total  of 
actual  sales  at  the  end  of  three  months.  Though 
the  result  might  appear  to  contradict  every  possibility 
of  success,  an  expert  would  not  be  led  to  any  false 
conclusion.  I  should  be  glad  if  advertising  could  be 
reduced  to  an  exact  science. 

After  an  experience  of  over  fifty  years  I  consider 
that  advertising  as  a  profession  is  the  most  fascinat- 
ing form  of  speculation  in  existence.  Instead  of 
scouring  the  columns  of  the  morning  paper  for  the 
latest  Stock  Exchange  news,  or  the  final  betting,  you 
can  speculate  upon  the  deliveries  from  the  postman's 
bag,  and  sum  up  the  result  of  your  advertising. 
These  always  vary  in  their  character,  and  are  never 
for  two  days  alike.  In  the  experience  of  many 
advertisers  the  result  for  a  week  may  turn  out  so 
small  that  one  is  almost  driven  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  public  believed  one  had  retired  from 

56 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

business,  and  yet  on  the  eighth  day  an  avalanche 
of  orders  may  descend  upon  the  firm.  Occasionally, 
after  doubling  and  trebling  the  advertisement  orders, 
the  first  month's  returns  would  suggest  that  you 
were  killing  the  article,  and  yet  after  that  the  harvest 
comes — perhaps. 

I  remember  a  good  story  told  upon  one  occasion 
by  Mr  W.  H.  Lever  of  Sunlight  Soap  fame.  After 
an  enormous  struggle  with  the  public  by  advertising, 
Mr  Lever  has  landed  himself  at  Port  Sunlight, 
probably  the  most  successful  man  of  the  day  in  this 
particular  line  of  business.  Soon  after  commencing 
his  advertising  scheme,  and  occupying  large  spaces 
in  the  newspapers,  which  were  attracting  much 
attention  and  with  satisfactory  results,  he  found  upon 
his  counting-house  desk  one  morning,  a  telegram 
signed  with  a  name  he  did  not  recognise,  asking 
him  for  half-an-hour's  interview  the  next  day,  as 
he  wished  to  consult  him  upon  a  very  important 
question.  The  request  was  so  unique  that  he 
resolved  to  give  the  man  an  interview,  and  he 
replied  in  the  affirmative,  fixing  the  hour  of  one 
the  next  day. 

Mr  Lever  was  then  in  the  habit  of  occupying  a 
workman's  cottage,  near  the  works  for  his  own 
convenience,  during  the  week,  his  private  residence 
being  at  Bolton  ;  and  he  and  his  wife  spent  from 
Monday  to  Friday  in  the  cottage  at  Port  Sunlight. 
This  place  was  only  partly  furnished.  The  draw- 
ing-room windows  were  fitted  with  curtains  to  make 
people  believe  that  the  room  was  occupied,  but  was 

57 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

used  as  a  receptacle  for  empty  boxes.  The  only 
furnished  rooms  were  the  breakfast-room,  a  bedroom, 
and  the  servant's  room.  At  one  o'clock  Mr  Lever 
went  to  the  cottage  for  lunch,  and  in  the  course  of 
the  meal  the  door  bell  rang,  and  the  mysterious 
stranger  was  announced.  He  was  at  once  shown 
into  the  drawing-room,  amongst  the  empty  packing- 
cases,  and  word  was  given  that  Mr  Lever  would 
see  him  in  a  few  moments.  After  apologising 
for  keeping  him  waiting,  Mr  Lever  invited  him 
to  state  as  briefly  as  possible  what  his  business  was. 
The  stranger  had  a  very  melancholy  expression  on 
his  face,  and  evidently  the  appearance  of  the  drawing- 
room  had  caused  this,  as  he  had  only  a  packing- 
case  to  sit  upon.  In  reply  he  managed  to  blurt  out 
this  sentence  :  "Mr  Lever,  how  soon  after  a  man 
begins  to  advertise  ought  he  to  expect  handsome 
results?  I  have  been  advertising  now  for  six 
months,  and  nothing  has  happened,  except  a  demand 
from  the  printer  and  the  newspaper,  for  payments 
of  their  bills."  Treating  the  question  half  seriously, 
and  to  have  another  jest  with  him,  Mr  Lever  replied  : 
"  We  have  been  advertising  for  a  very  considerable 
time  ;  look  around  this  room  and  see  the  condition 
we  are  in,  and  we  are  still  waiting  for  orders  to 
come."  The  effect  of  his  reply  was  of  so  crushing 
a  nature  that  Mr  Lever  took  pity  on  his  visitor, 
and  added:  "After  all,  I  cannot  give  you  any  data. 
If  you  have  a  good  article,  go  on  advertising,  ad- 
vertising, advertising ;  printing,  printing,  printing ; 
and  paying,  paying,  paying." 

58 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

To  make  a  comparison  of  the  effect  of  advertising 
in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  is  very  diffi- 
cult. Great  Britain  had  a  population  of  41,609,091 
souls  in  1901,  and  possesses  9500  newspapers, 
besides  journals  and  magazines,  in  which  to  advertise. 
The  United  States  contained  a  population  of 
76,000,000  souls  in  1900,  and  23,265  newspapers. 
I  consider  that  advertising  in  Great  Britain  should 
produce  as  prompt  and  satisfactory  results,  in  pro- 
portion, as  in  the  United  States. 

With  regard  to  the  advertising  of  an  English 
article  in  the  United  States,  or  an  American  article 
in  England,  many  points  have  to  be  considered. 
After  an  experience  of  nearly  forty  years,  and 
possessing  exact  knowledge  with  regard  to  all 
American  articles  introduced  into  this  country,  either 
by  means  of  advertising  or  other  processes,  I  am 
convinced  that  no  American  article  can  succeed 
in  Great  Britain  in  any  direct  competition  with  an 
English  article  of  the  same  character,  quality,  and 
price.  The  American  articles  which  have  succeeded 
in  Great  Britain  are  not  great  in  number,  and  in 
every  instance  with  which  I  am  acquainted  have 
contained  some  element  of  originality  and  superiority 
which  contrasted  favourably  for  them  with  the 
English  article,  or  were  entirely  new  in  idea  and 
purpose. 

Take,  for  example,  American  furniture,  which  has 
been  largely  imported  into  this  country  on  account 
of  cheapness.  With  the  exception  of  roll-top  desks, 
letter-file  cabinets,  and  rocking-chairs — all  of  which 

59 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

were  novel  and  also  new  ideas — nothing  has  suc- 
ceeded. Advertising  American  sideboards,  sofas, 
and  the  like  have  been  condemned  as  dear  at  any 
price,  and  their  exportation  has  yielded  a  loss  to 
the  shippers.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  they 
could  not  compare,  in  quality  and  finish,  even  with 
the  cheapest  British-made  articles.  American  furni- 
ture is  glued  where  it  ought  to  be  morticed,  and 
nailed  where  screws  should  be  used,  and  nothing 
whatever  carefully  finished,  except  the  portion  visible 
to  the  eye.  The  wrong  side  of  any  piece  of  furniture 
is  seldom  even  planed,  and  shows  plainly  the  teeth 
of  the  saw. 

A  surprising  success,  however,  has  been  made  in 
this  country  with  American  boots  and  shoes.  This 
may  seem  contradictory  to  my  statement  already 
made  about  the  superiority  of  English  products. 
The  machinery  which  is  employed  in  boot  and  shoe 
making  by  all  the  large  manufacturers  in  Great 
Britain  is  of  American  invention.  The  machine 
boot-making  industry  in  the  United  States  is 
very  large  and  important,  and  the  Americans,  when 
they  discovered  that  English  boots  were  being  made 
with  the  help  of  American  machinery,  attempted 
to  sell  their  completed  footgear  in  this  country. 
At  first  the  experiment  was  tried  in  a  very  small 
way ;  but  the  success  was  immediate  and  enormous, 
and  for  the  reason  that  much  neater  shaped 
boots  and  shoes,  and  better-fitting  articles,  were 
produced.  There  is  no  longer  any  necessity  for 
a  person  in  this  country,  however  unshapely  the 

60 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

natural  foot  may  be,  to  imagine  that  he  cannot  be 
fitted  with  ready  -  made  boots.  The  American 
Company  supplies  every  size  of  boot  and  shoe,  with 
such  minute  gradations  that  "made  to  order"  is  no 
longer  necessary.  The  best-fitting  and  best-  working 
boots  and  shoes  now  worn  in  England  are  of 
American  make. 

Since  writing  the  foregoing,  I  find  that  the  English 
Consul  at  Boston,  Mass.,  enters  his  protest  in  his 
annual  report  (1904)  against  the  large  importation 
of  American  boots  into  England.  "  That  England 
should  import  in  one  year  from  Boston  alone,"  he 
says,  "  5  30,01 5  pairs  of  boots  and  shoes,  of  a  value 
of  ,£239,097,  whilst  Scotland  took  59,334  pairs, 
valued  ,£26,526,  and  Ireland  82,549  pairs,  of  a  value 
of  £"27,446,  is  a  matter  for  the  consideration  of  the 
British  shoe  industry.  Why  cannot  this  demand 
be  supplied  by  British  manufacturers?" 

American  labour  -  saving  inventions  have  always 
been  successful  in  England,  either  as  applied  to 
domestic  use,  tools  for  mechanics,  printing  processes, 
or  agricultural  machinery.  American  sweets,  canned 
fruits,  vegetables,  salmon,  have  had  an  enormous 
sale. 

An  American  visiting  England  for  the  first  time 
is  always  impressed  with  the  admirable  quality  and 
handsome  finish  of  every  article  of  furniture,  from  the 
Windsor  kitchen  chair  to  the  most  delicate  inlaid  cab- 
inets, ornamental  tables,  or  secretaires.  In  the  matter 
of  sideboards,  no  country  in  the  world  can  produce  such 
examples  of  the  beautiful  as  the  early  English  side- 

61 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

board  and  cabinet— and  the  history  of  English  furni- 
ture will  prove  this. 

On  my  first  visit  to  The  Times  offices,  when  I  was 
courteously  shown  over  the  premises  by  Mr  Moberly 
Bell,  opening  the  door  of  the  machinery  department, 
with  a  wave  of  the  hand  he  exclaimed :  "  All 
American ! " 

The  growth  and  improvement  in  regard  to  news- 
papers during  the  period  under  review  are  pheno- 
menal. The  only  London  evening  newspaper  in  1867 
and  1870  was  The  Echo,  which  was  the  first  to  be 
brought  out  at  the  price  of  a  halfpenny.  There  was 
a  serious  struggle  for  existence  at  first,  and  the 
strongest  possibility  of  a  failure,  until  Mr  Albert 
Grant  came  to  the  rescue.  At  that  time  he  was 
considered  a  financial  king,  and  the  capital  he  ad- 
vanced caused  a  rapid  rise  in  the  circulation  of  the 
paper  until  a  position  was  secured.  After  a  fitful 
life  The  Echo  ceased  publication  this  year — 1905. 
There  are  in  London  to-day  four  evening  penny 
papers,  and  three  halfpenny  papers,  and  all  have 
important  circulations.  There  are  six  halfpenny 
daily  papers,  all  well  supported,  both  as  to  circulation 
and  advertisement  income.  The  Daily  Mail  leads 
the  way.  The  Express,  Leader,  Chronicle,  Daily 
News  have  more  recently  entered  the  field,  the  last 
two  being  penny  papers  for  many  years  previously. 

Another  class  of  publication  has  come  into  being 
during  the  last  ten  or  fifteen  years  with  which  the 
advertiser  has  to  reckon,  and  with  advantage  to  him- 
self and  the  publisher.  The  circulation  of  such  penny 

62 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

journals  as  Tit  -  Bits,  Answers,  M.A.P.,  T.  P's 
Weekly,  and  others,  have  become  enormous,  and 
command  the  highest  rates  for  advertisements.  The 
popularity  of  this  class  of  publication  seems  boundless. 
Mr  T.  P.  O'Connor,  M.P.,  was  the  founder  of,  and 
is  the  editor  of,  both  M.A.P.  and  T.  P.'s  Weekly,  and 
has  turned  to  most  profitable  account  his  remarkable 
journalistic  genius  and  his  wealth  of  ideas  in  Mainly 
About  People  (M.A.P.}.  The  amount  of  literary 
work  Mr  O'Connor  can  accomplish  week  by  week, 
and  yet  give  attention  to  his  Parliamentary  duties, 
is  one  of  the  marvels  of  English  journalism  and 
authorship.  Mr  O'Connor  is  an  Irishman  who  has 
had  an  American  experience  and  training — and  then, 
too,  he  has  married  an  American  lady.  Mrs  O'Connor 
has  won  distinction  in  many  branches  of  journalism, 
and  as  author-actress  as  well.  As  a  reader  of  the 
plantation  negro  dialect  she  is  without  a  rival.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  hearing  her  read  from  Thomas  Nelson 
Page's  "  Massa  Chan,"  at  the  residence  of  the  late 
Dr  Parker  at  Hampstead,  on  the  occasion  of  a  large 
reception  given  to  Henry  Ward  Beecher  during  his 
last  visit  to  England.  The  praise  she  received  upon 
that  occasion  would  have  delighted  the  author.  All 
her  work  has  been  taken  up  and  accomplished  from 
pure  love,  and  as  recreation  and  pastime. 

In  illustrated  journalism  in  1867  The  Illustrated 
London  News  had  no  rival.  On  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Franco-German  War  the  Graphic  appeared, 
and  soon  became  a  popular  success.  Then  came 
Black  and  White,  The  Pictorial  World,  the  several 

63 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

illustrated  ladies'  papers,  The  Sketch  ;  and,  more  re- 
cently, we  have  the  Sphere  and  Taller,  both  of  the 
latter  under  the  wise  editorship  and  direction  of  Mr 
Clement  Shorter,  than  whom  there  is  no  more  accom- 
plished and  able  editor  of  illustrated  journalism  living. 
Mr  Shorter  had  previously  the  editorial  management 
of  the  Illustrated  London  News,  the  proprietors  of 
which  started  The  Sketch,  which  was  projected  by 
him.  He,  therefore,  took  up  the  The  Sphere  and 
Taller  with  ripe  experience.  Many  said,  as  new  illus- 
trated papers  appeared,  "they  cannot  live";  "there 
is  no  field  or  demand  for  another."  The  actual  ex- 
perience is  that,  while  nominally  they  are  rivals,  they 
really  assist  each  other.  The  invention  of  the  "pro- 
cess block,"  by  which  means  photographs  can  be 
reproduced,  has  so  enlarged  the  facilities  for  accurate 
illustration  that  the  public  demand  is  insatiable  for 
views,  and  descriptions  of  events,  places,  and  peoples, 
that  all  these  papers  have  very  large  and  important 
circulations,  and  vie  with  each  other  to  produce  the 
best  and  most  for  the  "nimble  sixpence."  Thousands 
of  families  subscribe  to  three  and  four  of  these  papers 
weekly.  The  growth  and  extension  of  the  monthly 
magazines  and  reviews,  religious  and  class  weeklies 
of  every  description,  have  also  advanced  with  giant 
strides  during  the  last  fifteen  years. 

Of  American  daily  newspapers,  the  price  is  usually 
two  cents,  or  five  cents  for  special  Sunday  editions. 
The  Sunday  editions  of  American  newspapers  issued 
in  chief  cities  are  gigantic  collections  of  news  and 
literary  matter,  illustrations  and  advertisements. 

64 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

I  recently  spread  upon  the  floor  the  separate  sheets 
of  a  New  York  Sunday  World,  and  found  by  measure- 
ment that  it  covered  363  square  feet,  and,  of  course, 
printed  upon  both  sides — making  an  issue  of  528 
columns  of  18  inches  each. 

Sunday  editions  of  The  London  Daily  Telegraph 
and  Daily  Mail  were  attempted  a  few  years  ago, 
but  were  discontinued  after  a  very  short  run  in 
answer  to  adverse  public  opinion. 

The  London  newspapers  are  themselves  large 
advertisers.  "  Largest  circulation  in  the  world "  is 
a  phrase  to  be  seen  on  huge  posters  everywhere. 
They  also  take  up  important  spaces  in  the  advertis- 
ing columns  of  their  contemporaries  when  wishing 
to  attract  attention  to  some  new  feature  of  their 
publication. 

The  provincial  press  of  Great  Britain  rivals  London 
in  the  enterprise  and  importance  of  its  daily  news- 
papers. In  great  centres — like  Liverpool,  Birming- 
ham, Manchester,  Bristol,  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  Leeds, 
Glasgow,  Edinburgh,  Belfast  and  Dublin,  etc. — 
papers  are  issued  of  the  highest  class,  and  cannot 
be  ignored  in  any  advertising  campaign.  Nearly  all 
have  offices  in  London,  with  private  wires  and  tele- 
phones connecting  with  headquarters,  and  are  as  con- 
venient of  approach  for  business  and  news  purposes 
as  though  visited  in  the  towns  where  they  are 
published. 


CHAPTER  V 

My  New  Business — The  First  Introduction  of  American  Cigarettes  and 
Smoking  Tobacco  into  England  —  The  Richmond  Gem  —  The 
Quaker  and  the  Cigarette — Forcing  the  British  Sale — A  Great 
Tobacco  Combination— Removal  to  Holborn  Viaduct— Interesting 
Neighbourhood — The  Smithfield  Martyrs — Here  John  Bunyan 
died — Burial-place  of  Captain  John  Smith — Bad  Debts — Street 
Language — Forms  of  Address — English  Proprietary  Articles  in 
the  United  States— Advanced  Pharmacy— The  Diamond  Match 
Company. 

AFTER  the  dissolution  of  partnership  with  Mr  Van 
Duzer  I  commenced  business  on  my  own  account  in 
April  1876  with  one  of  the  proprietary  articles 
formerly  owned  by  Van  Duzer  &  Richards,  which 
came  to  me  in  the  course  of  settlement,  and  to  this 
article  was  shortly  afterwards  added  others.  I 
also  became  the  purchasing  agent  in  London  of  all 
English  goods  for  the  firm  of  John  F.  Henry  &  Co. 
of  New  York  ;  and  in  1877  I  undertook  the  sale  and 
exclusive  agency  for  Great  Britain  and  the  British 
colonies  of  J.  F.  Allen  &  Co.,  the  Virginia  manu- 
facturers of  American  cigarettes  and  smoking  tobaccos, 
At  that  time  there  was  not  a  single  American  cigar- 
ette sold  in  this  country,  so  I  am  responsible  foi 
the  introduction  to  this  country  of  American  cigarettes, 
and  had  for  nearly  ten  years  the  entire  control  of  the 
product  of  Messrs  Allen  &  Ginter,  and  for  a  con- 
siderable period  the  branch  of  Messrs  J.  R.  Duke 

66 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  Co.  Although  considerable  advertising  was  at 
once  resorted  to,  and  travellers  were  employed  to 
call  upon  retail  tobacconists,  I  found  the  cigarettes 
made  no  headway ;  and  the  "  Richmond  Gems " 
were  absolutely  refused,  though  they  were  the  pro- 
duct of  an  eminent  Virginian  firm.  The  smoking 
of  cigarettes  of  any  sort  or  kind  was  extremely 
limited  ;  in  a  few  shops  in  localities  frequented  by 
foreigners  one  could  buy  a  packet  of  "Caporal"  or 
"  La  FermeY'  also  Egyptian  and  Turkish  brands 
of  a  few  sorts  —  but  Englishmen  did  not  then 
care  for  cigarettes.  The  trade  in  them  and  their 
popularity  is  at  the  present  time  almost  beyond 
computation. 

But  I  was  determined  not  to  be  beaten,  and  as  a  last 
resort  I  conceived  the  plan  of  offering  to  purchase  a 
tobacco  dealer's  licence  for  every  chemist  in  the  United 
Kingdom  who  would  place  the  American  cigarettes 
on  their  counters,  and  undertake  their  sale.  In  a 
short  time  this  proposition  turned  out  highly  success- 
ful, and  the  chemists  themselves  were  greatly  pleased 
with  the  result ;  and  then  the  retail  tobacconists,  who 
had  turned  their  backs  upon  us  suddenly  awoke  to 
the  fact  that  the  American  cigarettes  were  appreciated 
and  required  in  this  country,  and  they  had  no  choice 
but  to  stock  and  sell  the  Richmond  Gem  Cigarettes. 
As  soon  as  the  retail  dealers  came  to  this  conclusion 
I  decided  to  give  them  the  utmost  support  possible 
by  advertising,  and  in  this  I  was  backed  up  by  the 
firm  in  Virginia. 

Just   at   that   time  we  produced  as   a   poster  and 

67 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

showcard  the  now  well-known  old  Quaker  smoker, 
wearing  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  who  very  soon  made 
acquaintance  and  won  his  way  to  the  hearts  of  all 
British  smokers.  This  was  copyrighted  for  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States,  and  to-day  remains 
the  principal  trade  mark  of  the  various  brands  of 
tobacco  manufactured  by  Messrs  Allen  &  Ginter, 
the  Richmond  Gem  Tobacco  and  Cigarette  Manu- 
facturers. Every  kind  of  ingenious  method  was 
employed  to  advertise  their  goods,  and  experts  have 
admitted  that  no  advertising  was  better  done  or 
with  a  more  satisfactory  result.  The  first  welcome 
given  to  these  cigarettes  did  not  come  from  the 
west,  but  the  east  of  London,  and  dealers  in  the 
west  doggedly  refused  to  take  up  the  sale.  There- 
upon a  tobacco  shop  was  rented  at  the  Piccadilly 
corner  of  the  Circus,  and  styled  "The  Ole  Virginny 
Tobacco  Shop."  The  windows  were  dressed  in  the 
most  attractive  form,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the 
brand  became  the  fashion.  Then  the  cigarettes 
crept  into  the  hotels,  clubs,  and  public-houses,  and 
everybody  began  to  demand  the  Richmond  Gem 
Cigarettes  and  Tobacco. 

Allen  &  Ginter  held  the  monopoly  of  American 
cigarettes  for  perhaps  two  years,  but  at  the  end  of 
that  time  the  demand  for  cigarettes  became  so  enor- 
mous that  every  tobacco  manufacturer  in  the  United 
States  entered  the  market,  and  began  turning  out 
cigarettes,  shipping  them  to  England.  English  manu- 
facturers began  the  manufacture  also.  At  the  present 
time  the  cigarette  industry  exceeds  that  of  all  manu- 

68 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

factured  tobacco,  and  the  rivalry  created  by  the  sale 
caused  the  creation  of  that  important  amalgamation 
known  as  the  "  American  Tobacco  Co."  and  the 
"  Imperial  Tobacco  Co." 

This  business,  so  lucrative  and  so  extensive,  I 
regret  to  say,  was  lost  to  me  and  those  interested 
with  me  without  a  farthing  compensation,  although 
I  had  introduced  and  created  the  demand  for  the 
cigarette  in  Great  Britain.  When  the  American 
Tobacco  Co.  was  formed,  all  the  important  cigarette 
manufacturers  in  the  United  States,  with  agencies  in 
England,  were  included,  and  they  elected  to  conduct 
the  business  for  the  future  in  their  own  name,  on 
their  own  premises,  and  with  one  staff,  to  represent 
the  whole  of  the  members,  under  one  manager.  Since 
that  day  the  Imperial  Tobacco  Co.  of  Great  Britain 
has  absorbed  the  combined  American  companies,  and 
the  capital  runs  into  some  millions  of  money.  At 
first  the  cigarettes  were  all  hand  made ;  but  the 
great  demand  stimulated  the  inventive  genius  of 
America,  and  now  all  cigarettes  are  made  by  patented 
machinery,  under  various  American  patents. 

I  was  associated  in  this  tobacco  business  with  my 
brother-in-law,  Mr  Henry  K.  Terry,  and  as  soon 
as  the  business  became  important,  separate  premises 
were  rented,  in  which  the  business  was  carried  on. 
The  fret  and  worry  of  this  business  were  enormous, 
on  account  of  the  wearisome  restrictions  with  which 
every  dealing  with  a  dutiable  commodity  is  sur- 
rounded. 

The   general   increase   of  my   special    business   in 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

proprietary  articles  at  length  became  larger,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  remove  from  Great  Russell  Street  to 
more  capacious  premises  at  No.  46  Holborn  Viaduct ; 
and  at  that  time  quite  three-fourths  of  the  buildings 
in  that  locality  were  unoccupied.  Prior  to  the  con- 
struction of  the  Viaduct,  vehicles  had  to  descend  a 
steep  road  on  Holborn  Hill,  cross  Farringdon  Street, 
and  ascend  the  steep  face  of  Snow  Hill,  to  gain  the 
level  of  the  city  in  Newgate  Street. 

This  was  the  road  traversed  by  the  martyrs  on  their 
way  from  the  old  Fleet  Prison  in  Farringdon  Street 
(now  covered  by  the  Memorial  Hall)  to  Smithfield, 
where  they  were  burned  at  the  stake.  The  exact  spot 
of  martyrdom  in  Smithfield  is  now  marked  by  a  red 
pillar-box  for  the  posting  of  letters,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  market  opposite  St  Bartholomew's  Hospital. 
Here  Anne  Askew,  Rogers,  Bradford,  and  Philpot 
suffered  death  with  many  others.  My  new  premises 
stand  on  what  was  called  Snow  Hill,  where,  300 
years  ago,  one  John  Strudwick,  a  grocer,  kept  a 
shop,  in  whose  house  John  Bunyan  died,  and  from 
here  the  procession  passed  to  his  burial  in  the 
Bunhill  Fields,  where  he  was  laid  in  the  vault  of 
his  host. 

At  the  east  end  of  the  Viaduct  stands  the  Church 
of  St  Sepulchre,  where  Captain  John  Smith  lies 
buried,  the  lover  of  Pocahontas ;  and  on  the  right 
hand  is  the  New  Sessions  Court,  on  the  old  site  of 
Newgate. 

Dr  Parker's  City  Temple  is  almost  opposite  my 
premises  on  the  Viaduct. 

70 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Speaking  of  trading  in  Great  Britain,  such  as  I 
have  experienced  : — I  am  not,  of  course,  familiar  with 
the  course  of  all  trades,  but  I  can  with  pleasure  bear 
my  testimony  to  the  honourable  character  of  that 
trading  with  which  I  have  come  in  contact.  In  the 
thirty-eight  years  I  have  been  trading  in  London  I 
have  not  lost  ^"200  by  bad  debts.  There  are  com- 
mercial agencies  which  make  inquiry  into  the  stand- 
ing of  a  tradesman  who  would  do  business  with  you  ; 
and  cautious  people  can  also  refer  to  bankers  as  to 
monetary  position,  or  obtain  references  when  dealing 
with  new  firms,  and  the  credit  system  is  less  abused, 
in  my  experience,  by  default,  than  I  have  found  else- 
where to  be  the  case. 

Where  a  firm  is  believed  to  have  made  a  success 
in  a  particular  line  of  business,  applications  are  fre- 
quently made  from  various  people,  anxious  to  improve 
their  financial  position,  who  are  full  of  ideas  and  in- 
ventions which,  they  declare,  would  yield  great  fortunes 
if  the  firm  would  only  take  them  up. 

I  have  been  interviewed  by  several,  who  have 
looked  furtively  round  my  office,  and  asked  if  I  were 
sure  no  one  would  be  able  to  overhear  our  conversa- 
tion. Then,  when  assured  no  one  could  possibly  hear 
what  passed,  they  have  told  me  of  some  poor  formula, 
or  process  of  manufacture,  utterly  worthless,  in  bated 
breath,  as  if  they  were  divulging  a  great  State  secret. 
Occasionally  a  professional  man  has  honoured  me 
with  his  confidence,  and  been  tortured  while  he  spoke 
lest  I  should  pierce  his  anonymity,  and  ruin  his  reputa- 
tion by  disclosing  that  he  was  engaged  in  anything  so 

71 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

mercenary  as  trade !  In  no  single  instance  have  I 
ever  had  anything  placed  before  me,  under  such 
circumstances  as  I  have  described,  that  I  could  enter- 
tain for  a  single  moment,  and  I  think  I  have  been 
able,  in  every  instance,  to  satisfy  my  interviewer  that 
his  proposal  was  impracticable,  if  not  silly,  and  con- 
tained nothing  new  or  important. 

Since  removing  to  the  Viaduct  an  interesting  plan 
in  connection  with  luncheon  has  been  adopted  among 
a  group  of  Americans  who  are  engaged  in  kindred 
pursuits.  This  began  with  fifteen  or  more  lunching 
daily  at  the  Holburn  Viaduct  Hotel  from  i  to  2  P.M. 
For  their  exclusive  use  Messrs  Spiers  &  Pond  have 
set  apart  in  the  coffee-room  a  large  table,  which  has 
been  for  twenty  years  known  as  "the  American 
Round  Table " ;  and  here,  Americans  resident  in 
London  regularly  lunch  together,  with  their  friends. 
During  this  period  I  have  met  at  that  Round  Table 
nearly  every  important  advertiser  and  advertisement 
agent  in  England,  and  many  from  the  United  States, 
and  from  all  parts  of  the  Continent.  This  Round 
Table  forms  a  very  pleasant  rendezvous  for  those 
having  mutual  interests,  and  an  opportunity  for  ex- 
changing views  and  finding  new  friends. 

The  table  is  now  so  well  known  that  no  surprise 
is  caused  by  former  guests  sending  from  all  parts  of 
the  Continent  telegrams  addressed  to  "The  Round 
Table,  Viaduct  Hotel,  London,"  and  timing  their 
arrival  for  the  luncheon  hour. 

One  hears  of  Americans  being  strongly  criticised 
as  to  their  manners  at  hotel  tables  and  elsewhere. 

72 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Well-bred  Americans  are  as  careful  and  particular  as 
well-bred  Englishmen,  or  the  well-mannered  of  any 
country.  If  100,000  English  were  to  pass  through 
New  York  and  Boston  every  year,  doubtless  among 
that  number,  visiting  hotels  and  popular  restaurants, 
would  be  found  occasionally,  both  men  and  women 
whose  table  manners  could  be  improved.  One  must 
not  expect  an  entire  community  to  be  precise  and 
exact  in  every  detail  of  politeness.  I  was  told  the 
other  day  of  a  foreigner  at  an  American  restaurant, 
who,  on  taking  his  seat  at  a  table,  and  while  giving 
his  order  to  the  waiter,  in  rather  peremptory  language, 
meantime  proceeded  to  tuck  the  end  of  his  table- 
napkin  under  his  chin.  The  waiter,  being  a  little 
irritated  by  his  manner,  suddenly  jerked  the  napkin 
from  the  man's  neck,  saying :  "I  beg  pardon,  sir, 
your  order  was  for  a  lunch,  not  a  shave." 

Forty  years  ago  swearing  in  the  United  States  on 
the  part  of  boys  and  adults  in  all  classes,  was  alto- 
gether shocking  ;  but  now,  as  in  England,  swearing 
is  "not  good  form,"  or  rather  "the  very  worst  form." 
English  labourers  and  mechanics,  as  they  walk 
along  the  streets,  interlard  their  conversation  with 
such  words  as  "bloody  fool"  and  "  bloomin'  idyit," 
but  rarely  anything  stronger.  A  lady  who  walked 
within  ear-shot  of  a  number  of  workmen  and 
labourers,  from  the  Marble  Arch  to  Lancaster  Gate 
one  evening,  heard  the  words  "bloody"  and  "bloomin'" 
uttered  over  sixty  times.  These  are  not  refined  expres- 
sions, but  they  are  a  great  improvement  upon  the  too 
frequent  use  of  an  oath.  Even  street  boys  and  errand 

73 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

lads  do  not  swear  in  London ;  and  an  American 
friend,  walking  with  me  in  the  Strand,  at  a  time  when 
the  evening  papers  were  being  published,  remarked, 
with  some  surprise:  "Why,  London  newsboys  wear 
shoes,  and  comb  their  hair";  and  he  added:  "  Bus- 
drivers  wear  silk  hats,  and  gloves,  and  the  conductors 
say  'thank-you."  These  were  new  experiences  for 
him. 

Americans  have  frequently  asked  me  by  what  rule 
a  man  may  tell  when  one  in  England  should  be 
addressed  as  "  Mr,"  and  when  as  "  Esq."  in  writing 
to  a  private  gentleman.  The  difference  is  one  of 
compliment  only ;  but  it  is  an  established  custom  that 
private  gentlemen,  and  those  commercially  and  pro- 
fessionally occupied,  shall  be  addressed  as  "  Esq." 
Men  in  the  "services,"  or  holding  titles,  prefix  or 
affix  such  titles  to  their  names,  not  only  upon  their 
visiting  cards,  but  painted  or  stamped  upon  their 
trunks  and  cases  :  such  a  practice  is  both  proper  and 
convenient,  so  that  their  precise  position  is  disclosed 
at  a  glance. 

The  fact  is  an  important  one  to  remember,  that  the 
profit  of  the  London  Telephone  service  in  1894  was 
,£93,000 ;  while  the  whole  profit  of  the  Post  Office 
department,  which  included  telegraphs  and  parcel  post, 
was  practically  £5,000,000. 

The  inventor  of  the  Post-Card  was  Dr  Emmanuel 
Hermann,  Councillor  of  the  Austrian  Ministry  of 
Commerce,  who  first  suggested  the  idea.  His  pro- 
posal was  at  once  adopted  by  the  Austrian  Post- 
Office,  when  the  price  for  the  card  was  fixed  at  less 

74 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

than  a  half-penny.  The  number  of  words  was  limited 
to  twenty  ;  but  this  was  very  soon  increased. 

The  question  of  cab  fares  is  always  a  fruitful  source 
of  annoyance  and  trouble  in  London.  All  fares  are 
supposed  to  be  regulated  by  law ;  but  in  practice  this 
is  entirely  ignored.  A  passenger  can  insist  upon 
being  carried  two  legal  miles  for  one  shilling,  but 
he  is  not  likely  to  attempt  this  twice.  A  stranger 
taking  a  cab  in  London  will  be  sure  to  have  ascer- 
tained beforehand,  from  a  friend,  the  fare  he  ought 
to  pay.  If  the  Cabman  'would  only  accept  his  legal 
fare  courteously,  I  am  sure  he  would  find  his  takings 
at  the  close  of  the  day  much  more  satisfactory  than 
at  present.  Possibly,  however,  a  Cabman  will  never 
reach  the  point  of  contentment,  however  the  fare  may 
be  arranged.  I  am  sure  many  people  would  volun- 
tarily add  a  "  tip "  if  cabby  asked  no  more  than  his 
legal  fare. 

Here  let  me  again  briefly  refer  to  the  subject  of 
International  Trading.  All  English  proprietary  articles 
seeking  a  sale  in  the  United  States,  owing  to  enormous 
import  duties,  cannot  approach  the  consumer  on  equal 
terms  with  the  home  manufacturer.  Few,  therefore, 
of  the  great  manufacturers  of  branded  goods  of  any 
kind,  have  attempted  a  serious  advertising  campaign  in 
America.  Among  the  British  successes  Pears'  Soap, 
Worcester  Sauce,  Crosse  &  Blackwell,  Huntley  & 
Palmer,  Peak,  Frean  &  Co.,  and  Liebig's  Extract  may 
be  named. 

The  price  of  these  articles  in  the  United  States 
would  be  nearly  double  the  price  charged  in  Great 

75 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Britain,  and  they  do  not  come  into  competition,  to 
any  extent,  with  what  Brother  Jonathan  offers.  What 
may  happen  when  "John  Bull"  establishes  factories 
in  America  is  another  question. 

Of  products  of  "Advanced  Pharmacy"  mention 
must  be  made  of  the  ready  recognition  on  the  part  of 
the  medical  profession  of  Great  Britain  of  the  im- 
proved method  of  preparing  drugs  for  accurate  dis- 
pensing, which  has  been  introduced  by  American 
manufacturing  chemists  and  pharmacists.  Apart  from 
such  preparations  as  have  been  introduced  by  me, 
mention  should  be  made  of  the  exceptional  and 
elaborate  formulae  issued  by  such  well-known  American 
firms  as  Messrs  Burroughs,  Wellcome  &  Co.,  Seabury 
and  Johnson,  Parke  Davis  &  Co.,  Fairchild  Bros., 
Foster,  John  Wyeth  &  Sons,  M'Kessor  &  Robbins, 
and  others.  I  think  I  may  claim  to  be  the  first  to  get 
the  ear  and  support  of  the  profession,  and  hospitals, 
for  American  digestive  ferments  —  prepared  from 
Pepsin  and  Pancreatine — also  for  American  Extract  of 
Malt.  In  1880  Mr  Silas  Mainville  Burroughs  called 
upon  me  in  Great  Russell  Street  with  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction. He  was  a  handsome  young  fellow,  of  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  blonde  of  complexion,  with  fine, 
pale  blue  eyes.  He  was  full  of  enthusiasm  as  to 
his  purpose  to  establish  the  products  of  Messrs  John 
Wyeth  &  Sons  of  Philadelphia,  with  whom  he  had 
been  long  associated.  He  rented  a  little  office  of  two 
rooms  on  the  first  floor  of  Great  Russell  Street  Build- 
ings, and,  with  samples  in  hand,  began  a  canvass 
among  the  London  doctors  and  hospitals  without 

76 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

delay.  He  had  a  magnetic  personality,  and  the  items 
he  had  to  offer  were  new  and  important.  He  suc- 
ceeded from  the  very  first,  at  the  end  of  a  year 
taking  quite  large  premises  at  Snow  Hill,  and  adding 
a  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  a  malt  extract  and 
beef  wine  and  iron.  He  travelled  constantly,  making 
friends  and  customers.  He  was  joined  later  by  Mr 
Henry  S.  Wellcome,  also  a  young  man  of  experience 
and  ability,  and  the  firm  became  Burroughs,  Wellcome 
and  Co.,  and  they  then  removed  to  the  premises  at 
the  top  of  Snow  Hill,  corner  of  the  Viaduct,  with 
a  new  and  important  factory  at  Wandsworth,  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Dartford,  Kent.  Mr  Burroughs 
and  I  were  warm  personal  friends  from  the  day  of  his 
arrival.  He  was  having  a  holiday  at  Cannes  in  1895, 
took  a  severe  cold,  through  some  inadvertence,  and 
died  suddenly  of  pneumonia.  He  lived  to  see  the 
seed  sown  by  him  blossom  into  success,  but  not  the  full 
development  which  has  been  reached  by  his  surviving 
partner.  The  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  firm  was  held  in  July  of  the  present 
year. 

In  my  observations  concerning  American  industries 
which  have  gained  a  footing  in  Great  Britain  I  must 
mention  the  Diamond  Match  Company  of  Maryland, 
which  erected  a  gigantic  plant  and  works  near  Liver- 
pool some  years  ago.  There  was  an  immediate 
demand  for  these  cheap,  excellent  matches,  which 
were  produced  by  automatic,  novel,  and  patented 
machinery  at  prices  that  could  not  be  equalled  by 
British  manufacturers.  Four  years  ago  this  business 

77 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

was  acquired  by  Messrs  Bryant  &  May,  the  eminent 
match  manufacturers  of  this  country.  The  result  of 
this  is  that  the  united  industries  of  these  two  great 
concerns  control  the  market  for  every  description 
of  matches,  from  the  "  Patent  Safety  "  to  Wax  Vestas, 
with  intermediate  lines  of  every  conceivable  form  of 
match.  Quite  recently  I  had  the  pleasure  of  going 
over  these  works,  and  inspecting  the  manufacture  of 
matches.  Passing  from  one  machine  to  another,  I  soon 
discovered  on  the  polished  brass  plates  attached  to 
the  "almost  human"  machines  the  familiar  names 
"  Salem,  Ohio,"  "  Cleveland,  Ohio,"  "Chicago,  111." 
"Yes,"  said  the  manager;  "they  are  all  American." 
I  timidly  asked:  "How  many  matches  do  you  produce 
per  day  ?  "  "  Exactly  eight  times  the  number  of  the 
population  of  the  United  Kingdom "  was  the  reply. 
"  Eight  matches  for  every  human  being ! " 


CHAPTER  VI 

Dr  Joseph  Parker — Personal  Acquaintance  and  Friendship — My  Father's 
Visit  and  Death — Thursday  Morning  Services — Henry  Ward 
Beecher's  Visit  to  London  —  Colman's  Mustard — Dr  Parker's 
Lectures  in  the  United  States — Controversy  arises — Lecture  Tour 
abbreviated — Dr  Parker's  Letters — Plymouth  Church — I  join  the 
Diaconate  of  City  Temple — Dr  and  Mrs  Parker's  Silver  Wedding 
— Presentation  of  Gifts — Dr  Parker's  Commandments  for  Men  of 
Business. 

ALTHOUGH  I  was  the  son  and  the  grandson  of  Pres- 
byterian ministers,  by  early  habit  and  inclination, 
and  also  by  youthful  constraint,  an  attendant  at 
religious  services,  I  cannot  say  that  I  had  in  early 
life  any  decided  leaning  to  one  special  form  of  religi- 
ous worship.  While  quite  a  little  boy  I  attended  two 
services  on  the  Sabbath  in  my  father's  church.  These 
were  in  the  morning  and  afternoon :  early  in  the 
evening  I  was  sent  to  bed.  When  I  went  to  reside 
with  my  grandfather  I  found  he  was  a  strict  Sab- 
batarian, and  never  would  allow  of  any  domestic 
work  being  done  unless  most  urgent,  so  I  had  to  fall 
in  with  his  wishes.  But  when  I  began  my  travelling, 
I  think  that  I  became  less  observant  of  attendance 
at  church  on  the  Sabbath.  On  coming  to  London, 
however,  this  feeling  passed  away  after  a  time. 
As  I  was  not  specially  interested  in  any  particular 
branch  of  the  Christian  Church  I  was  at  first  content 
to  accompany  my  American  visitors  to  such  places 

79 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

of  worship  as  they  most  desired  to  visit.  The  most 
popular  preachers  in  London  amongst  Americans  from 
1867  to  1872  was  certainly  the  Rev.  Charles  Spurgeon 
and  Rev.  Newman  Hall,  and  I  must  have  taken  be- 
tween these  years  several  hundreds  to  hear  those 
ministers  preach. 

I  was  but  rarely  asked  to  accompany  visitors  to 
hear  the  Church  of  England  clergy.  The  visitors 
to  St  Paul's  Cathedral,  Westminster  Abbey,  and  other 
historic  churches  seemed  only  anxious  to  see  the 
edifice,  the  marvellous  painted  windows,  and  the 
memorials  to  the  illustrious  dead.  If  I  were  asked  to 
name  the  clergymen  of  the  Established  Church  best 
known  to  Americans  in  the  seventies,  I  would  answer 
Dean  Stanley,  Archdeacon  Farrar,  the  Dean  of 
Rochester,  Rev.  Charles  Haweis — all  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  To-day  I  would  mention  Bishop  Weldon, 
late  head-master  of  Harrow,  and  Archdeacon  Sinclair 
of  St  Paul's  Cathedral.  Both  of  these  eloquent  and 
distinguished  clergymen  have  a  very  large  acquaint- 
ance with  Americans,  and  are  greatly  appreciated 
and  beloved  by  them. 

The  most  popular  preachers  in  New  York  in  the 
seventies  were  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  Rev.  Dr  John 
Hall,  Rev.  Dr  Thompson,  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Talmage, 
Rev.  Dr  G.  B.  Cheever,  Rev.  Dr  Stephen  H. 
Tyng,  and  Rev.  Dr  T.  L.  Cuyler. 

During  the  summer  of  1873  my  attention  was 
attracted  to  an  article  in  The  New  York  Evangelist, 
which  was  written  by  the  Rev.  Dr  Theodore  L. 
Cuyler,  describing  visits  to  London  churches,  and 

80 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

very  strong  expressions  were  used  in  praise  of  the 
preaching  of  the  Rev.  Dr  Joseph  Parker.  Services 
were  being  temporarily  held  at  the  Cannon  Street 
Hotel,  as  the  Poultry  Chapel,  of  which  he  was  pastor, 
had  been  sold  to  the  Corporation  of  the  City  of 
London,  and  the  trustees  had  only  then  completed  the 
purchase  of  a  plot  of  land  from  the  Corporation,  on  the 
Holborn  Viaduct,  for  the  erection  of  what  is  now 
called  the  City  Temple. 

The  Sunday  following  the  reading  of  the  article 
I  went  to  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel  in  the  morning, 
but  was  disappointed  to  find  that  the  Doctor  was 
taking  a  holiday,  and  that  the  services  would  only 
be  resumed  the  last  Sunday  in  September,  when  he 
would  preach  there  in  the  morning,  and  at  Exeter 
Hall  in  the  evening.  I  took  special  care  to  be  present 
at  that  evening  service.  By  going  early  I  was  able  to 
obtain  seats  for  my  wife,  myself,  and  three  friends 
near  to  the  platform,  on  the  ground  floor,  so  that 
I  could  judge  for  myself  whether  Dr  Cuyler  had 
over-praised  Dr  Parker's  eloquence  and  power. 
There  was  a  small  table  on  the  platform,  by 
which  the  Doctor  sat,  with  a  deacon  on  each 
side  of  him.  When  service  began  I  watched  the 
Doctor  closely.  Dr  Cuyler  said,  in  the  course  of 
his  article:  "You  will  see  in  him  a  man  with  a 
head  like  a  lion,  with  a  voice  that  could  roar  like 
a  lion,  but  which  could  be  lowered  to  the  gentlest 
whisper,  and  yet  the  whisper  could  be  heard  in  any 
part  of  the  hall."  I  tested  this  for  myself,  and  found 
that  the  description  was  absolutely  correct.  His 
F  81 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

personality  was  remarkable ;  his  appearance  most 
striking — enormous  head  and  broad  forehead.  At  that 
time  he  wore  his  hair  very  long,  and  had  full  beard, 
leaving  upper  lip  and  upper  part  of  chin  clean  shaven  ; 
hair  and  beard  raven  black.  He  wore  no  gown,  only 
a  plain  black  frock  coat  and  black  tie. 

I  noticed  particularly  that  he  had  a  small  and 
shapely  hand.  He  began,  I  think,  with  a  short  in- 
vocation— "  Lord,  abide  with  us,  for  it  is  toward  even- 
ing, and  the  day  is  far  spent " — which  was  followed  by 
the  giving  out  of  a  hymn.  After  reading  in  the  most 
impressive  manner  the  first  two  lines — 

"  Hail,  Thou  once  despised  Jesus, 
Hail,  Thou  Galilean  King  " — 

he  said  :  "  This  is  not  a  funeral  hymn — it  must  be 
sung  with  fire."  The  whole  congregation,  being  over 
3000  persons,  took  up  the  singing  with  great  hearti- 
ness. There  was  not  a  word  spoken  in  the  sermon 
which  he  delivered  that  I  did  not  follow  with  the 
closest  attention  and  delight,  and  I  afterwards  never 
failed  to  attend  the  service  there,  generally  accompanied 
by  five  or  six  others. 

Dr  Parker  delivered  his  sermons  extempore,  and 
the  notes  he  carried  into  the  pulpit  could  be  written  on 
a  visiting-card — just  a  few  "  Feathers  for  Arrows," 
as  he  called  them.  Did  this  mean  that  he  could  preach 
three  sermons  a  week  without  previous  preparation  ? 
Certainly  not.  He  was  a  deep  student.  Every  subject 
of  discourse  was  settled  definitely  in  his  mind. 

He  once  told   me   he  had  frequently  to  reply  to 

82 


JOSEPH     PAEKEE. 


Drawn  in  the  firelight  in  the  Study  at  ';  Tynehome,"  Hampstead,  1888,  by 
MAUDE  POSTER. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

brother  ministers  who  would  say  :  "How  easy  and 
simple,  Dr  Parker,  is  your  work:  thirty  minutes'  sermon, 
Thursday ;  two  thirty-minute  discourses  on  Sunday. 
No  sermon- writing."  The  irony  of  his  answer  was 
in  the  tone  of  voice  in  which  he  would  say:  "  Go  thou 
and  do  likewise." 

His  final  word  at  the  finish  of  a  sermon  was  always 
delivered  sharp  and  abrupt,  with  a  rising  inflection  : 
he  then  would  slowly  close  the  Bible. 

At  the  conclusion  of  an  invocation  or  prayer  his 
habit  always  was  to  make  a  pause  of  a  few  seconds 
before  pronouncing  "AMEN."  This  was  most  im- 
pressive. 

He  spoke  such  words  as  "Goo" — "  JESUS  CHRIST" 
— "No" — "YES" — "NOTHING"  in  a  way  to  give 
more  value  to  each  word  than  any  speaker  I  have 
ever  heard. 

His  Bible-reading  at  services  never  exceeded  a 
dozen  verses,  but  the  reading  was  remarkable,  com- 
manding the  attention  of  everyone. 

Dr  Parker  never  cared  to  see  anyone  in  his  private 
vestry  before  any  service.  He  wished  to  be  quite 
alone  for  half-an-hour  or  more  before  preaching.  He 
never  hurried  or  rushed  to  his  work. 

I  was  present  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of 
the  City  Temple  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Binney,  and 
at  the  dedication  service  by  Rev.  Professor  W.  Lind- 
say Alexander,  D.D.,  of  Edinburgh. 

In  the  new  building  I  rented  a  pew  holding  seven 
people  on  the  ground  floor,  where  I  was  only  distant 
five  pews  from  the  pulpit.  I  did  not  make  the  per- 

83 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

sonal  acquaintance  of  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  until 
several  months  after  the  opening  of  the  City  Temple, 
although  we  attended  the  services  regularly,  and 
occasionally  the  Thursday  morning  service  also.  I 
had,  however,  learned  much  concerning  him  from 
others.  He  was  the  son  of  a  Northumbrian  stone 
mason,  a  rugged,  dogmatic  old  Puritan,  stern  of 
manner  and  of  thought — one  who  lived  hardly,  and 
was  righteous.  His  son  inherited  many  of  these 
traits,  united  with  an  irrepressible  industry,  which 
never  would  admit  fatigue.  His  life  was  one  long 
devotion  to  the  service  of  his  Master. 

In  1874  my  father  paid  me  a  visit,  and,  naturally, 
accompanied  me  to  the  City  Temple  upon  the  first 
Sunday  of  his  being  in  London,  and  I  took  him 
into  the  vestry,  and  introduced  him.  Then  visits 
were  interchanged  between  us.  He  came  to  my 
house  in  Upper  Woburn  Place,  and  my  wife  and 
I  called  upon  him  and  Mrs  Parker  in  the  Quadrant, 
Highbury.  This  was  approaching  the  time  for  the 
summer  holiday,  and  Dr  Parker  invited  my  father 
to  preach  for  him  on  one  Sunday  in  August  at 
the  City  Temple.  The  week  before  this  Sunday 
came  my  father  left  London  on  a  visit  to  Scotland. 
I  took  him  to  Euston  Station  ;  and  received  a  post 
card  from  him  the  next  morning,  dated  Melrose,  in 
which  he  said  he  had  just  visited  the  Abbey,  should 
spend  the  night  at  Melrose,  and  go  forward  to 
Abbotsford  in  the  morning,  and  proceed  thence  to 
Edinburgh  in  the  evening.  The  following  morning, 
however,  I  read  a  paragraph  in  The  Daily  Telegraph 

84 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

stating  that  a  clergyman,  answering  my  father's  de- 
scription, and  with  letters  in  his  pocket  bearing  his 
name,  had  met  with  an  accident  at  the  Waverley 
Station,  and  that  he  had  been  conveyed  to  the 
Royal  Infirmary  at  Edinburgh.  A  few  hours  later 
I  received  a  telegram  from  the  house  surgeon  stating 
that  my  father  had  died. 

I  left  London  immediately  with  my  wife  for 
Edinburgh ;  and  the  only  particulars  that  I  could 
obtain  with  respect  to  the  accident  were  that  he 
was  seen  by  one  of  the  porters  at  the  Waverley 
Station  crossing  the  track,  and  judging  by  the 
position  in  which  he  was  found,  the  supposition  was 
that  he  caught  his  foot  in  a  rail,  and  pitched  head 
first  against  a  stone  buttress,  which  fractured  his 
skull.  He  died  within  two  hours,  without  having 
spoken  a  word. 

Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  were  abroad  at  this  time ;  but 
both  telegraphed  their  condolences  to  us,  and  upon 
their  return  were  the  first  to  call  and  express  their 
sympathy. 

My  father's  body  was  removed  to  America,  and 
was  finally  interred  at  Auburn,  New  York,  in  the 
same  cemetery  and  plot,  where  his  mother  and 
father  are  buried. 

From  this  time  until  his  death,  in  1902,  there 
never  passed  one  week,  without  my  seeing  or  hear- 
ing from  Dr  Parker.  The  Doctor  was  pleased,  in 
the  course  of  time,  to  honour  me  with  his  confidence 
in  a  marked  degree,  as  though  he  recognised  in  me 
some  quality  which  satisfied  his  judgment,  that  I 

85 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

could  be  trusted  in  business  questions  quite  apart 
from  those  relating  to  his  church.  He  was  not 
only  a  born  preacher,  but  possessed  a  marvellous 
grasp  of  sound  practical  knowledge  upon  the  affairs 
of  the  day.  I  often  consulted  with  him  regarding  my 
own  affairs,  always  getting  the  most  practical  help. 

In  1886  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  and  his 
wife  came  to  England,  on  the  invitation  of  Dr  and 
Mrs  Parker  to  pay  them  a  visit,  and  he  was  also 
under  an  engagement  at  that  time  to  Major  J.  B. 
Pond  to  deliver  a  course  of  lectures  in  Great 
Britain.  The  first  lecture  was  to  be  delivered  in 
the  City  Temple,  and  on  the  Sunday  previous  Dr 
Parker  made  reference  to  his  presence,  and  made 
a  slight  allusion  to  the  matter  of  the  Beecher-Tilton 
controversy,  in  which  the  Doctor  declared  Mr  Beecher 
had  been  entirely  exonerated,  and  remarked  that  Mr 
Beecher  deserved  their  warmest  sympathy  for  having 
been  laid  under  such  a  dense  cloud  of  suspicion. 

Calls  were  made  from  the  congregation  for  Mr 
Beecher,  whereupon  he  went  into  the  pulpit,  and 
said  :  "  I  must  immediately  disclaim  what  Dr  Parker 
has  just  said,  that  during  the  months  or  year  of  the 
controversy  to  which  he  has  referred  I  was  in 
any  condition  of  doubt  or  gloom  or  unrest.  My 
friends  may  have  been ;  but  my  spirits  were  never 
checked,  my  night's  rest  never  disturbed,  and  I  can 
truly  say  that  I  never  felt  in  the  smallest  degree 
but  that  in  the  end  I  should  be  entirely  exonerated." 

I  have  often  heard  Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  say  how 
greatly  cheered  they  were  by  Mr  Beecher's  visit, 

86 


03 


—  23 

Q    U 
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£  5 

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H  O 

DC  U 

.  Q 

>  OS 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  astonished  at  his  wonderful  powers  and  vitality ; 
and  that  his  amusing  companionship  had  greatly 
delighted  them,  and  they  were  very  reluctant  to  part 
when  the  time  came  for  Mr  Beecher  and  his  wife 
to  return  to  New  York.  They  remained  in  England 
three  months,  and  during  the  first  month  of  the 
lecture  tour  Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  accompanied  them 
to  every  important  place  where  Mr  Beecher  had  to 
lecture.  Dr  Parker  was  with  him  on  the  platform 
of  every  place  where  he  lectured  in  London. 

I  remember  Mrs  Parker  telling  me  an  amusing 
story  of  an  occurrence  on  the  first  day  of  the  arrival 
at  their  house  in  Hampstead.  On  sitting  down  to 
dinner  that  day,  Mr  Beecher  said  to  her :  "  Mrs 
Parker,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  what  mustard  you 
use  in  this  family."  She  was  very  much  surprised 
at  such  a  question,  and  replied  :  "  Well,  Mr  Beecher, 
do  tell  me  why  you  want  to  know,  because  I  cannot 
answer  without  consulting  the  cook."  He  said : 
"  Consult  the  cook,  then,  because  I  cannot  eat  a 
mouthful  until  my  question  is  answered."  The  cook 
was  at  once  questioned,  and  forthwith  came  the 
answer:  "Colman's."  "Very  well,"  said  Mr  Beecher, 
"then  I  will  proceed  with  my  dinner;  but  all  the 
way  up  from  Liverpool,  at  every  railway  station, 
and  on  every  hoarding  near  the  track,  I  read  the 
legend  :  '  Colman's  Mustard  is  the  best.'  That  decided 
me  that  I  must  prove  the  truth  of  that  assertion  on 
the  first  occasion  that  I  dined  in  London." 

During  ten  or  fifteen  years  I  had  many  interests 
in  which  Dr  Parker  was  concerned — notably  in  the 

87 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

publication  of  The  Foimtain,  The  Daisy  Family 
Story  Paper,  and  afterwards  The  Christian  Chronicle. 
Upon  one  occasion  we  were  joint  owners  of  The 
Citizen,  a  well-known  city  weekly,  for  forty-eight 
hours.  Immediately  after  the  purchase  of  that 
paper  a  city  merchant,  desiring  to  become  the 
owner,  offered  a  handsome  addition  to  what  we 
had  paid,  and  the  copyright  was  at  once  handed 
over  without  our  having  published  a  single  number. 
Amongst  other  traits  I  found  Dr  Parker  to  be 
one  of  the  most  correct  and  punctual  men  I  ever 
met  with.  He  never  broke  an  engagement  except 
from  physical  inability.  His  working  powers  were 
marvellous,  and  his  industry  never  tired.  During 
the  thirty-three  years  of  his  London  ministry  he 
issued  many  volumes  of  sermons,  wrote  several 
novels,  published  all  the  volumes  of  the  "  People's 
Bible"  and  the  "People's  Prayer-Book,"  and  he  was 
constantly  writing  for  the  press,  or  reviewing  books, 
while  at  the  same  time  conducting  an  enormous 
private  correspondence.  In  the  matter  of  book 
publishing  and  the  author's  prospect  he  once 
said  that  when  about  to  issue  his  first  book,  when 
his  manuscript  had  been  accepted,  and  he  was  in 
high  expectation  of  results  in  the  way  of  copies 
sold,  he  began  to  make  up  a  list  of  those  to  whom 
he  was  personally  known,  all  of  whom  were  certain 
to  purchase  at  least  one  copy.  The  total  list  ran 
to  several  hundreds.  Alas !  for  human  calculation, 
he  found  that  all  his  friends  did  not  subscribe,  and 
was  unable  to  trace  a  dozen  copies  to  their  patronage. 

88 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

In  telling  this,  he  remarked  that,  both  as  preacher 
and  author,  he  had  put  his  trust  in  the  great  public, 
adding:  "Do  not  rely  upon  the  patronage  of  a  set 
or  of  individuals.  Look  to  your  work  ;  the  public  will 
find  you  if  the  work  is  worthy." 

Dr  Parker's  labour  was  without  end,  because  he 
was  in  great  request  for  the  opening  of  bazaars,  the 
laying  of  corner-stones,  and  preaching  sermons  at 
the  opening  of  new  chapels  and  school-rooms,  in  all 
parts  of  the  country.  Then  he  had  frequently  the 
far  more  difficult  duty  of  presiding  over  conferences 
of  ministerial  brethren ;  or  at  meetings  held  upon 
questions  of  great  social  importance. 

In  the  City  Temple  he  renewed  the  Thursday 
morning  services  previously  held  by  him  in  the 
Poultry  Chapel,  and  carried  these  on  for  thirty  years 
— to  the  close  of  his  life.  His  service  furnished  an 
admirable  opportunity  to  strangers  who  wished  to 
hear  him  when  they  visited  the  Metropolis.  After 
the  public  services  anyone  who  so  desired  might 
have  an  interview  with  him  in  the  vestry,  but  he 
always  insisted  upon  these  being  brief.  I  have  met 
in  his  vestry  during  the  last  twenty-five  years  of 
his  ministry  many  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
of  the  day,  in  every  department  of  life,  and  from 
nearly  every  country  in  the  world. 

Upon  one  occasion  a  gentleman  entered  the  vestry, 
and  asked  him  to  be  so  good  as  to  fix  a  day  when 
he  would  give  him  a  two  hours'  interview  for  a  con- 
versation on  a  most  important  matter,  in  which  Dr 
Parker  would  be  interested.  "  Never,"  said  the  Doctor 

89 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

impressively,  to  his  visitor's  astonishment.  "  Why 
not?"  he  asked.  "I  could  never  be  interested  in 
anything  which  required  two  hours  to  tell.  I  am 
perfectly  certain  whatever  you  want  to  communicate 
can  be  told  in  fifteen  minutes.  That  is  the  utmost 
time  I  can  spare,  and  you  can  begin  now  if  you  are 
ready."  The  visitor,  however,  resented  the  limita- 
tion, and  retired. 

There  were  so  many  of  this  class  of  visitors  that 
the  Doctor  had  an  electric  wire  placed  under  the 
mat  at  his  table  in  the  vestry  where  he  sat,  which 
communicated  with  a  bell  in  the  outer  vestry,  and 
whenever  that  bell  was  heard  the  sexton  would  enter 
with  the  Doctor's  hat  and  coat,  or  intimated  that 
some  other  visitor  was  waiting  an  interview,  and 
so  the  "bore,"  male  or  female,  was  checkmated. 

In  one  of  his  books  he  writes  :  "  One  of  the  plagues 
of  a  minister's  life  is  that  people  will  use  so  many 
words  in  talking  to  him  ;  they  think  they  shall  be 
heard  for  their  much  speaking.  In  my  early  ministry 
I  used  to  take  down  in  shorthand  the  wordy  speeches 
of  one  most  persistent  bore,  and  I  found  that  he  used 
eighteen  words  where  six  were  enough.  If  ever  I 
were  rash  enough  to  ask  him  how  he  was,  he  would 
say  :  *  Well,  sir,  in  regards  of  that,  you  touch  a  rather 
delicate  point,  for  as  I  was  saying,  no  longer  back 
than  yesterday,  when  we  put  things  together,  and 

consider  what  sort  of  weather '     And  so  on,  until 

my  poor  patience  utterly  gave  way,  and  if  I  had  not 
been  a  minister  I  should  have  slain  him  with  a 
frown. " 

90 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Yet  he  had  plenty  of  patience  with  anyone  who 
had  a  really  genuine  tale  to  tell,  but  he  seemed  in- 
tuitively to  detect  the  simple  bore. 

At  his  own  residence  he  was  the  soul  of  hospitality, 
and  would  enter  into  the  sport  of  the  occasion  with  the 
ardour  and  simplicity  of  a  child.  He  was  possessed 
of  a  wonderful  fund  of  stories,  and  told  them  in  the 
quaint  manner  of  a  native  of  the  country  in  which  they 
originated. 

Although  Dr  Parker  had  paid  several  visits  to 
the  United  States  on  pleasure,  not  until  1887  did 
he  finally  assent  to  the  oft-repeated  suggestion  that 
he  should  deliver  a  series  of  lectures  in  the  States, 
and  he  then  entered  into  an  agreement  with  Major 
James  B.  Pond  to  deliver  fifty  lectures  in  the  course 
of  three  months  in  the  principal  cities  and  towns. 
These  were  to  begin  at  New  York,  and  extend  as 
far  west  as  Chicago  ;  and,  crossing  into  Canada,  de- 
liver fix  or  six  in  that  country.  The  subjects  were 
to  be  secular,  and  the  Doctor  selected  "  Gladstone," 
and  one  entitled  "  Clocks  and  Watches."  His  first 
public  appearance  was  to  be  in  the  Academy  of 
Music,  Brooklyn,  where  he  was  to  deliver  a  promised 
eulogy  upon  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  This 
he  had  written  out  very  carefully,  and  committed  to 
memory,  so  that  upon  delivery  he  did  not  use  any 
notes.  The  Doctor  left  the  MS.  with  me,  with  in- 
structions that  upon  receipt  of  a  telegram  that  the 
eulogy  was  delivered  the  MS.  should  be  sent  to  The 
Christian  World  for  publication  in  London.  This 
was  done. 

91 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Dr  Parker  was  invited  to  deliver  this  eulogy  in  the 
following  words  by  cable  : — 

"  Plymouth  Church  grateful  for  sympathy.  Invite 
you  to  deliver  eulogy.  All  expenses  of  journey 
and  visit  of  Mrs  Parker  and  yourself  paid  by 
us." 

In  America  a  serious  controversy  broke  out  over 
this  lecture,  because  Major  Pond  insisted  that  this 
should  be  treated  as  one  of  the  course  to  be  de- 
livered, and  the  cost  deducted  from  the  sale  of 
tickets  received. 

The  Doctor  delivered  about  thirty  lectures,  when 
the  constant  travelling,  at  the  most  killing  time  of 
year,  coupled  with  the  worry  he  suffered  from  the 
newspaper  controversy,  decided  him  to  return  to 
England  at  once,  and  take  up  again  his  work  at 
the  City  Temple  in  January  1888,  instead  of  in 
March  as  he  had  previously  intended.  He  preached 
in  Plymouth  Church  on  the  Sunday  morning  before 
he  sailed  ;  but  to  the  surprise  of  the  congregation 
he  left  the  pulpit  the  moment  he  had  finished  his 
sermon,  and  declined  to  see  anybody  or  receive 
anyone.  He  preached  the  sermon  because  he  had 
promised  to  do  so ;  but  he  felt  so  offended  at  the 
tone  adopted  by  the  Press  and  some  of  the  members 
of  the  church,  that  he  determined  not  to  meet  any 
member  of  the  congregation,  or  do  anything  more 
than  what  he  had  promised. 

With  regard  to  this  visit,  a  few  extracts  from  his 
letters  to  me  will  give  the  view  he  entertained  of 
this  unfortunate  dispute : 

92 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

EVERETT  HOUSE,  29^  August  1887. 

Fourteen  reporters  first  day,  ten  to-day.  Everybody  most  kind. 
Shall  be  glad  to  escape  N.Y.  More  taken  out  of  me  in  one  day  than 
in  a  month  at  home. 

You  know  how  large  and  true  is  the  love  we  send,  so  I  conclude 
with  a  monogram  and  a  blessing. 

J.  P. 

EVERETT  HOUSE,  N.Y.,  tfh  October. 

We  have  been  almost  overwhelmed  with  kindness,  yet  we  long,  long, 
long  to  see  how  old  London  looks,  and  we  long  to  meander  in  the  fragrant 
neighbourhood  of  the  Viaduct.  I  am  quietly  endeavouring  to  abbreviate 
my  tour.  .  .  .  This  is  our  thought  and  our  hope.  ...  I  cannot  conceive 
the  circumstances  under  which  I  would  settle  here,  even  if  I  had  an  op- 
portunity. Think  of  exchanging  London  for  Brooklyn  ! 
...  In  bonds  indissoluble, 

Yours, 

JOSEPH  PARKER. 

BUFFALO,  N.Y.,  29^  October  1887. 

.  .  .  Your  sunshine-letter  came,  and  rejoiced  us  like  a  jubilee  at  cold 
Toronto.  It  is  just  possible  we  may  go  to  some  restful  place  in  England 
in  early  December.  .  .  .  The  long,  long  journeys,  and  then  an  exciting 
lecture,  are  too  much  for  me.  ...  A  month's  rest  in  England  will  be 
invaluable  to  me.  ...  I  write  in  furious  haste,  but  with  the  double  love 
of  E.  J.— J.  P. 

WEST  HOTEL,  MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN.,  i%th  November  1887. 

Pity  me  so  far  away  from  home  !  I  really  do  feel  lonesome.  I  long 
for  home.  I  preach  in  Plymouth  Church  on  4th  December,  and  they 
give  me  a  reception  during  the  week.  ...  I  cannot  write  the  particulars 
about  Plymouth  Church,  but  you  will  know  all  when  we  meet.  Every- 
thing is  more  than  satisfactory. 

I  can  settle  here  (in  America)  on  an  income  of  ^5000  (pounds)  a 
year  easily  made!  But  I 

WON'T. 

The  opportunities  I  have  had  are  simply  astounding,  and  as  for  kind- 
ness— call  it  infinite.  Our  best  love  to  you  both.  I  did  think  Laurie 

93 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

would  have  written  me  one  line,  but  princes,  dukes,  and  belted  earls 
quench  such  sparks  as  a  dissenting  preacher.     Lord  pity  us  1 .  .  . 
.  .  .  Longing,  longing,  longing. 
O,  so  wearily. 

Ever  in  heartiest  love, 

Yours, 

J.  P. 

EVERETT  HOUSE,  UNION  SQUARE,  NEW  YORK. 
4th  December,  1887. 

Some  of  your  newspaper  countrymen  have  been  scalping  me  in 
open  day,  and  telling  lies  about  twice  as  big  as  America.  They 
said  I  charged  a  fee,  or  received  a  fee,  for  my  eulogy.  A  bigger  lie 
was  never  invented  since  the  serpent  conferred  with  Eve  in  the 
fragrant  Garden  of  Eden.  On  the  contrary,  I  received  100  dollars 
less  than  I  was  actually  out  of  pocket !  The  Eulogy  Committee,  vindi- 
cated me  in  the  best  possible  manner,  and  after  my  vindication  (I 
could  not  before)  I  gave  the  whole  sum  I  received  towards  the  fund 
for  erecting  the  monument,  so  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  delivering 
the  eulogy,  and  paying  every  penny  of  our  united  expenses.  I  do 
not  ^wplain,  I  only  explain.  .  .  .  But  the  newspapers  can  lie  !  At  one 
hotel  Mrs  Beecher  was  sent  away  when  she  called,  with  the  explanation 
that  I  could  not  see  her  because  I  was  "at  prayer"!  Another  reporter 
says  he  called  upon  me,  and  found  me  playing  dominoes,  whereas 
I  do  not  know  one  domino  from  another.  Yes ;  they  can  lie.  ...  On 
arriving  at  home  I  shall  need  the  assurance  that  I  have  some  friends 
somewhere,  and  that  assurance  will  find  its  way  back  to  America. 
Please  blame  only  the  right  parties,  viz. :  the  infamous  newspaper 
reporters  and  interviewers,  and  hangers-on.  The  gentlemen  of  America 
have  been  true,  and  kind,  and  noble. 

Our  love,  our  true  love,  our  growing  love,  to  you  and  yours. 

J.  P. 

In  1892  I  was  invited  to  join  the  diaconate  of 
the  City  Temple,  which  I  did. 

Dr  Parker  was  an  extremely  charitable  man,  and 
dispensed  large  sums  of  money  from  his  private  purse, 
as  well  as  from  funds  placed  at  his  disposal,  to  persons 
in  circumstances  of  need.  As  a  judge  of  character 

94 


With  John  Bull   and  Jonathan 

he  was  rarely  at  fault,  and  on  a  second  or  third 
appeal  being  made  to  him  by  the  same  person, 
if  there  were  the  slightest  variation  in  the  story,  he 
detected  the  imposture  at  once.  Once,  in  reference 
to  an  applicant  who  had  disappointed  him,  he  used 
the  following  words  : — "  Keep  her  at  the  utmost  dis- 
tance, she  is  a  consummate  beggar.  How  many 
sovereigns  and  half-sovereigns  she  has  had  from 
here  (the  City  Temple)  I  dare  not  inquire." 

In  May  1894,  on  the  conclusion  of  twenty-five 
years'  ministry  in  the  City  Temple,  opportunity  was 
taken  to  present  Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  with  suitable 
gifts,  as  marks  of  the  public  appreciation  of  his 
ministry.  To  Dr  Parker  was  presented  pulpit  robes, 
a  cheque  for  1000  guineas,  and  a  portrait  in  oils 
by  Mr  Robert  Gibb,  R.S.A.,  which  now  hangs  in 
the  vestry  of  the  City  Temple.  These  gifts  were 
accompanied  by  an  album  containing  the  autographs 
of  the  donors.  The  presentation  to  Mrs  Parker, 
which  consisted  of  a  beautiful  diamond  brooch,  was 
made  by  me.  Dr  Parker,  in  responding  upon  this 
occasion,  observed  :  "  I  am  touched  especially  by  the 
words  of  my  long-tried  friend,  Mr  Richards,  con- 
cerning my  wife.  The  diamonds  are  of  great  value, 
their  radiance  is  indisputable,  but  I  am  here,  after 
thirty  years'  experience  and  observation,  to  say  that 
the  radiance  of  the  diamonds  is  eclipsed  and  quenched 
by  the  glory  of  the  life  they  are  intended  to  adorn." 

This  presentation  is  duly  recorded  on  a  tablet  in 
the  vestibule. 

His  pulpit  jubilee  was  celebrated  iQth  July  1898, 

95 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  the  services  were  attended  by  enormous  crowds 
of  people. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  booklets  which  Dr 
Parker  wrote  was  the  result  of  many  talks  we  had 
together  upon  business,  and  business  methods.  This 
was  originally  intended  for  private  circulation,  but 
was  subsequently  published  by  the  well-known  firm 
of  Messrs  Hazell,  Watson  &  Viney,  to  whose 
courtesy  I  am  indebted  for  the  quotation  following. 
The  work  was  entitled  "  Successful  Business ;  How 
to  Get  it,  Keep  it,  and  Make  the  Most  of  it,"  and 
closes  with  the  following  : — "  Ten  General  Command- 
ments for  Men  of  Business  "  : — 

1.  Thou  shalt  not  in  any  wise  boast,  brag,  bounce, 
or   bluster,  or   the  wise   man   will  hold  thee    in   low 
esteem. 

2.  Thou   shalt   not   permit   thy  wife   to   be   living 
at  the  rate  of  ^200  a  year  when  thy  business  is  not 
yielding   more  than   ^199;    nor  shalt  thou  withhold 
from  her  the  business  information  which,  as  an  help- 
meet, she  is  entitled  to  receive. 

3.  Thou    shalt    not    mock    the    unsuccessful    man, 
for  he  may  be  richer  in  his  poverty  than  thou  art  in 
thy  boasted  abundance. 

4.  Thou   shalt  not  carry   the   counting-house   into 
the  domestic  circle,  nor  in  any  wise  spoil  the  children's 
hour  by  recapitulating  the  bankruptcies  of  the  day. 

5.  Thou  shalt  not  hob-nob  with  idle  persons,  nor 
smoke  with  them,  nor  encourage  them,  nor  approve 
their  evil  life. 

96 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

6.  Thou    shalt    not    keep    company    with    an    un- 
punctual    man,    for    he   will    certainly   lead    thee   to 
carelessness  and  ruin. 

7.  Thou  shalt  not  forget  that  a  servant  who  can 
tell  \\esfor  thee,  may  one  day  tell  lies  to  thee. 

8.  As  to  hours   of  slumber   and   sleep,  remember 
the  good  old  rule  : 

11  Nature  requires  five, 
Custom  gives  seven, 
Laziness  takes  nine, 
And  wickedness  eleven. 

9.  Neither  a  borrower  nor  a  lender  be,  but  give 
where  well-bestowed,  right  cheerfully. 

10.  Be  honest  in  copper,  and  in  gold  thy  honesty 
will  be  sure. 

These   are   the   commandments    truly,    which   will 
ensure  success  in  business. 


97 


CHAPTER  VII 

English  Holiday-making  —  Our  Visits  with  Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  — 
Mrs  Parker's  Illness  and  Death— The  Doctor's  Grief— He  is 
Heart-broken — Continues  his  Ministry — His  last  Holiday  with 
us — Illness  and  Death. 

THE  method  of  taking  summer  holidays  in  England 
was  one  of  the  first  things  which  interested  me,  as 
being  in  such  strange  and  marked  contrast  with  the 
American  habit.  Across  the  Atlantic,  on  setting  out 
for  a  holiday,  the  town  house  would  be  shut  up, 
locked,  and  no  caretaker  left  in  the  place.  The 
family  would  migrate  to  the  countryside  or  the 
seaside,  and  engage  rooms,  with  full  board,  at  a 
hotel  or  boarding-house  at  a  fixed  price  per  week, 
and  remain  away  during  June,  July,  and  August, 
when  the  air  of  the  city  is  at  greatest  heat — the 
head  of  the  family  taking  an  occasional  run  to  town 
on  business. 

I  soon  found  out  that  in  England,  except  amongst 
the  richer  classes,  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks  was  the 
customary  length  of  a  summer  holiday ;  and  the 
system  involved  negotiations  being  carried  out  with 
the  keepers  of  seaside  lodgings,  or  at  farmhouses 
at  the  countryside — the  prices  varying  according  to 
the  location  and  the  character  of  the  accommodation. 
A  fixed  price  was  paid  for  the  rooms,  all  food  supplies 
being  regulated  on  a  separate  basis,  or  the  food 

98 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

could  be  purchased  by  the  visitors,  and  a  small  charge 
made  for  cooking  and  serving.  This  plan  means 
that  you  are  practically  carrying  out  your  ordinary 
home  life  in  lodgings,  or  in  furnished  houses.  Not 
infrequently  families  of  six  or  eight  persons  were 
to  be  found  who  considered  their  position  very 
satisfactory  with  only  one  sitting-room  and  three 
or  four  bedrooms. 

The  seaside  hotels  in  England  forty  years  ago 
were  more  of  them  constructed  on  the  scale  and 
plan  of  those  at  Newport,  Narragansett  Pier,  Long 
Branch,  Manhattan  Beach,  Saratoga,  or  in  the 
White  Mountains.  Many  of  these  hotels  have  ac- 
commodation for  1000  guests,  and  at  the  inclusive 
price  of  $2.50  to  $6.00  per  day.  There  are  English 
seaside  hotels  of  the  present  day  that  will  take 
300  guests,  and  at  fixed  tariff,  from  155.  a  day. 

The  lodging-house  system  exists  in  London,  and 
in  all  large  towns  in  England ;  but  the  boarding- 
house  system  is  distinctly  limited,  though  in  many 
cases  one  hears  of  extremely  desirable  and  comfortable 
establishments  of  that  kind.  At  all  these  places 
there  are  discomforts  of  a  more  or  less  serious 
character. 

The  amusements  and  diversions  at  English  resorts 
are  not  of  the  social  character  of  those  in  the  United 
States.  Families  keep  together,  and  there  is  very  little 
attempt  to  form  new  acquaintances  or  join  other 
families  in  bathing,  promenades,  or  driving.  Even- 
ing amusements  are  quiet,  and  "  early  to  bed  "  rules 
prevail. 

99 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Many  of  our  summer  holidays  were  passed  with 
Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  in  visiting  notable  places  in 
England.  I  remember  upon  one  occasion,  while 
staying  together  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  Dr  Parker 
said  to  me  :  "I  wish  to  give  you  and  your  wife  a 
holiday  with  us,  but  the  invitation  can  only  be 
accepted  upon  one  condition.  You  are  to  place 
yourselves  unreservedly  in  our  hands ;  you  are  to 
have  no  responsibility  of  any  kind  whatever.  This 
will  be  a  holiday  at  Lake  Windermere  ;  but  you  are 
not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  choosing  the  hotel, 
your  room,  ordering  your  meals,  or  planning  any 
excursions,  walks,  or  drives.  I  want  you  to  be 
relieved  for  one  whole  week  of  having  to  make 
any  suggestion  to  anybody  on  earth.  Your  usual 
holidays  which  have  come  under  my  observation 
have  been  taken  up  with  making  arrangements  for 
other  people.  Will  you  come  ?  " 

"  Enthusiastically — yes,"  was  my  reply. 

These  were  the  same  words  which  he  had  used 
himself  upon  one  occasion  when  accepting  an  invita- 
tion under  similar  circumstances  from  me.  A  more 
enjoyable  ten  days'  holiday  could  not  have  been 
experienced  by  anyone  in  the  world.  We  were 
taken  to  see  everything  of  interest  in  the  Lake 
District — the  Wordsworth  country.  Nothing  was 
omitted,  and  the  journey  was  the  more  enjoyable 
because  I  really  had  no  responsibility  of  any  kind. 

Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  always  took  their  holidays 
together,  and  the  Doctor  never  left  London  for  the 
country  on  a  preaching  excursion  for  one  day,  upon 


IOO 


'./> 
With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

which  she  did  not  accompany  him.  So  constantly 
were  they  in  one  another's  society  that  Mrs  Parker 
told  me  that  the  only  written  communication  which 
had  ever  passed  between  them  was  a  post  card 
written  in  shorthand  which  he  sent  to  her  at 
Sunderland,  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  her  mother. 
On  this  occasion  she  was  obliged  to  go  alone,  because 
Dr  Parker  had  a  preaching  engagement  which  he 
felt  he  could  not  postpone. 

The  last  visit  which  they  paid  together  to  Mrs 
Richards  and  myself  was  at  Norris  Castle,  East  Cowes, 
Isle  of  Wight.  They  were  with  us  two  weeks  in 
September,  which  were  delightfully  spent ;  and  so  far 
as  human  foresight  could  foretell,  they  left  us  in 
absolutely  perfect  health  for  their  journey  home  to 
Hampstead — he  to  recommence  his  work  at  the  City 
Temple,  on  the  first  Sunday  of  October. 

Three  weeks  after  their  return  Mrs  Parker  was 
declared  to  be  very  seriously  ill — but  there  was  no 
danger,  so  the  medical  men  declared.  A  surgical 
operation  was  performed,  for  the  removal  of  a 
malignant  growth,  which  was  declared  to  be  entirely 
successful,  and  her  prompt  recovery  was  anticipated. 
Her  symptoms  changed  from  better  to  worse,  and 
on  27th  January  1899  she  died.  I  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  sad  fact  by  receiving  a  wire  from 
the  Doctor  in  the  following  words  : — 

"  She  is  not  here  :  she  has  risen." 

I  immediately  went  to  his  house  at  Hampstead, 
and  on  being  admitted  went  up  to  his  study.  He 
was  sitting  in  a  chair  in  front  of  the  fire,  almost  bent 

101 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

double  :  he  was  crushed  by  the  sorrow  which  had 
fallen  upon  him. 

He  saw  me  enter  the  room,  but  did  not  speak  a 
word.  Then  he  rose,  and  taking  me  by  the  hand, 
led  me  in  silence  to  the  darkened  room  in  which  the 
body  lay,  and  remained  for  a  few  moments  —  no 
words  were  spoken. 

He  led  me  out  of  the  room  and  to  the  door ;  with 
a  hand- clasp  we  parted. 

During  Mrs  Parker's  illness,  which  lasted  two 
months,  I  saw  her  repeatedly,  and  she  always  spoke 
to  me  in  terms  of  hope  about  her  recovery.  Over 
and  over  again  she  said :  "  Never  mind  what  the 
doctors  say,  or  any  personal  expressions  you  may 
hear,  I  think  I  shall  get  well." 

The  medical  men  held  a  consultation,  after  which, 
on  1 4th  December  1898,  I  received  a  telegram  from 
her  in  these  words  :  "  Greatly  better  ;  splendid  night "  ; 
and  a  letter  from  Dr  Parker,  in  which  he  told  me 
that  Mrs  Parker's  recovery  was  assured.  On  the 
last  occasion  of  my  seeing  her  she  said  :  "  I  am  not 
in  any  pain." 

In  my  opinion,  if  she  realised  the  fatal  character 
of  her  illness,  she  was  afraid  the  announcement  would 
have  a  serious  effect  upon  Dr  Parker,  and  was  not 
prepared  herself  to  tell  him. 

The  funeral  service  was  held  at  the  house — "  Tyne- 
house,"  Lyndhurst  Gardens,  South  Hampstead — the 
Rev.  Principal  Vaughan  Pryce,  President  of  New 
College,  officiating.  Many  ministerial  and  lay  friends 
were  present.  Mrs  Parker  was  buried  in  a  plot  of 


IO2 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

ground  in  Hampstead  Cemetery,  and  at  his  request  I 
wrote  the  following  inscription,  which  appears  upon 
the  monument : — 

"tto  tbe  flftemotB  of 
EMMA    JANE    PARKER 

Born,  June  2oth,  1846. 
Ascended,  January  27th,  1899. 

For  more  than  34  years  the  loving  and  devoted  wife  of 
Joseph  Parker,  Minister  of  the  City  Temple,  London. 

Gratefully  erected  by  the  Church  and  Congregation. 

'Purer,  dearer, 
With  eyes  clearer 
On  the  Home  shore.'" 

The  concluding  lines  were  quoted  from  her  own 
poem,  "  Perchance,"  published  in  a  volume  entitled 
"  Summer  Sonnets,"  and  issued  during  her  last 
illness. 

Dr  Parker  was,  of  course,  present  at  the  funeral 
in  the  cemetery,  but  never  visited  the  grave  after- 
wards. Her  death  broke  his  heart,  but  not  the 
purpose  of  his  life  ;  and  what  she  would  have  wished 
him  to  do  was  the  after  inspiration  of  every  act  of 
his  life.  He  would  say  :  "  I  have  come  to  see  you 
because  I  know  she  would  have  wished  me  to  do 
so  "  ;  or  :  "I  will  go  there  because  I  know  she  would 
have  me  go."  Behind  all  this  was  the  resignation 
of  despair.  He  prayed  morning  and  evening  ever 
afterwards  that  he  might  die ;  and  his  prayer  was 
shortly  answered. 

103 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

In  the  meantime  he  went  on  with  his  ministerial 
work — "She  would  have  wished  this,"  he  continually 
said  to  me. 

The  following  summer  Dr  Parker  came  to  visit 
us  at  Old  Park,  near  Ventnor,  and  again  in  1900 
he  visited  us  at  Steephill  Castle,  Ventnor,  and 
finally  in  the  following  summer,  1901. 

Dr  Parker  was  gifted  with  a  high  sense  of  humour, 
and  greatly  delighted  his  friends  on  many  occasions 
by  telling  stories  in  the  dialect  of  the  people  where 
they  originated :  thus  he  told  tales  in  the  North- 
umbrian tongue,  and  he  was  equally  at  home  with 
those  of  Irish,  Scottish,  or  Welsh  origin,  and  in  some 
degree  had  mastered  the  American  accent.  He  had 
an  enormous  fund  of  amusing  stories,  and,  whether 
new  or  old,  his  manner  of  telling  them  was  the 
feature  of  such  entertainment.  One  can  repeat  the 
stories,  not  the  genius  in  telling  them. 

No  one  who  was  present  at  the  time  in  Steephill 
Castle  can  ever  forget  the  jest  under  cover  of  which 
he  left  the  dining-room  one  evening  when  we  were 
sitting  rather  late.  "  Let  me  tell  you  an  Irish  story," 
he  began ;  and  those  present  became  silent  at  once. 
"There  was  an  Irish  priest,  upon  one  occasion, 
preaching  in  a  village  church  to  the  peasants,  and 
he  spoke  thus  at  the  conclusion  of  a  sermon  on  the 
virtues  and  wisdom  of  St  Patrick."  Here  he  adopted 
a  broad  Irish  brogue,  and  continued  :  "  *  Now,  my  dear 
children,  where  shall  we  put  St  Patrick  ?  Shall  we 
put  him  where  the  sapphire  river  rolls  around  the 
throne  of  the  Almighty  ?  No  ;  we  will  not  put  him 

104 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

there.  Shall  we  put  him  where  the  golden  light 
plays  around  the  golden  city  ?  No ;  we  will  not 
put  him  there.  Shall  we  put  him  in  a  boat  sailing 
over  the  golden  lake  when  the  angels  are  calling? 
No  ;  we  will  not  put  him  there.'  For  the  fourth  time 
he  demanded  in  a  loud  voice :  '  Where  shall  we 
put  St  Patrick  ? '  Then  at  that  moment  a  peasant 
called  out :  '  Well  then,  shure,  you  can  put  him  here, 
for  I'm  going."  And  with  a  bow  the  Doctor  rose, 
and  retired  to  his  bedchamber,  leaving  those  present 
convulsed  with  laughter. 

Dr  Parker  was  much  sought  after  by  the  leading 
men  of  the  day,  and  he  was  in  the  habit,  where 
possible,  of  inviting  them  to  the  Thursday  morning 
service  at  the  City  Temple.  Upon  one  occasion 
the  subject  he  announced  was  :  "  What  has  the  Pew 
to  say  to  the  Pulpit?"  He  called  upon  Mr  Glad- 
stone, in  view  of  this  service,  with  whom  he  had 
been  upon  most  friendly  terms,  to  arrange  the  date. 
Upon  returning  from  Harley  Street,  Dr  Parker  told 
me  that  Mr  Gladstone  had  promised  to  attend,  and 
that  on  leaving  he  said :  "  Now,  Mr  Gladstone,  I 
have  to  announce  this  from  the  pulpit,  so  may  I 
consider  it  as  such  a  definite  engagement  as  you  can 
give?"  To  this  Mr  Gladstone  replied:  "Nothing 
but  the  inevitable  will  prevent." 

Mr  Gladstone  duly  attended  the  service,  and  opened 
the  discussion,  which  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  important  services  ever  held  in  the  City 
Temple. 

Amongst  other  visitors  to  the  City  Temple,  on 

105 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

similar  occasions,  were  the  great  Earl  of  Shaftesbury 
and  Dean  Stanley. 

The  names  of  these  and  other  visitors  were  signed 
in  the  pulpit  Bible,  which  is  now  enclosed  in  a  glass 
case,  and  stands  below  the  pulpit. 

Soon  after  the  visit  of  Mr  Gladstone  he  and  his 
wife  accepted  an  invitation  to  a  garden  party  at  Dr 
Parker's  residence,  Daleham  Gardens,  Hampstead, 
where  the  venerable  statesman  met  a  distinguished 
company  of  clergymen,  ministers,  and  laymen.  A 
similar  party  was  given  during  the  visit  of  Mr  Beecher, 
when  there  was  also  an  important  gathering.  Mr 
Gladstone  soon  afterwards  invited  Dr  and  Mrs 
Parker,  and  the  Rev.  H.  Ward  Beecher  and  Mrs 
Beecher,  to  breakfast  with  him  in  Downing  Street. 

Mrs  Parker  was  a  lady  of  many  accomplishments, 
and  a  devoted  helpmeet.  In  Dr  Parker's  work  of 
preparation  at  home,  and  in  the  execution  of  many 
labours  at  the  Temple,  she  was  his  comrade  and 
his  right  hand.  She  was  the  leader  of  his  choir,  and 
an  excellent  singer  herself;  and,  as  an  excellent 
stenographer,  she  took  down  in  shorthand  many 
hundreds  of  his  sermons,  and  wrote  them  out  for 
the  Press.  More  than  all  this,  she  sympathised 
with  him  in  many  whims  and  fancies,  and  indulged 
him  to  the  "utmost  of  his  bent"  in  the  harmless 
amusements  of  the  day.  One  of  these  was  that  of 
mind  telegraphy,  or  the  directing  of  the  thoughts 
of  a  third  person,  and,  assisted  by  his  wife,  he  con- 
stantly practised  this  power  upon  his  friends  or 
visitors.  He  would  agree  with  Mrs  Parker  that, 

1 06 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

when  a  certain  person  would  sit  down  at  lunch  or 
dinner  with  them,  they  would  concentrate  their 
will  power  in  one  direction  upon  him  ;  and  he  has 
declared  to  me  that,  whenever  they  adopted  this 
plan,  they  were  always  successful.  One  instance  he 
told  me  of  related  to  a  visit  paid  him  by  Professor 
Newth,  who  was  well  known  for  his  antipathy  to 
Mr  Gladstone.  After  Dr  and  Mrs  Parker  had 
exercised  their  will  power  over  him  with  special 
regard  to  Mr  Gladstone,  they  were  immensely 
amused  to  hear  him  all  at  once  ask  the  Doctor  a 
question  regarding  that  statesman. 

In  the  holidays  of  1902  he  said  he  was  afraid  of 
the  trip  across  the  Solent.  So  the  holiday  was  spent 
in  a  visit  to  Mrs  Burnett  Smith,  "Annie  Swan" 
(the  well-known  writer).  He  invited  me  to  visit 
him  there,  but  pressure  of  business  engagements 
prevented  me,  to  my  great  regret. 

In  May  1902  Dr  Parker,  on  the  invitation  of  Mrs 
Richards,  accompanied  her  to  the  Zoological  Gardens 
in  Regent's  Park,  and,  at  her  request,  was  photo- 
graphed standing  by  the  lion's  cage.  This  is,  I 
believe,  the  last  photograph  taken  of  Dr  Parker. 

At  that  time  he  frequently  complained  of  not  feeling 
up  to  the  mark  :  he  suffered  from  shortness  of  breath 
and  a  pressure  upon  his  chest,  which  often  took  him 
when  speaking ;  nor  could  he  walk  far  without  feeling 
fatigue,  which  was  entirely  contrary  to  his  usual  ex- 
perience. The  fact  is  well  known  that  he  used  to 
walk  from  his  house  in  Hampstead,  a  distance  of  four 
miles,  to  the  City  Temple  on  Thursday  morning  and 

107 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

on  Sunday,  allowing  himself  plenty  of  time,  and 
taking  a  bath  in  the  vestry  before  entering  the 
pulpit. 

Before  his  last  holiday  he  announced  that  he  should 
take  up  his  usual  work  at  the  City  Temple  on  the 
first  Sunday  in  September  1902,  and  that  he  would 
make  the  experiment  of  preaching  on  the  previous 
Thursday  to  test  his  voice  and  strength.  During 
the  last  three  or  four  months  before  the  holidays 
he  invariably  arranged  with  a  brother  minister  or 
one  of  his  deacons  to  sit  near  the  pulpit,  and  if 
they  noticed  a  certain  sign,  to  come  to  the  pulpit 
and  continue  the  service  —  he  was  afraid  of  a 
collapse. 

So  far  as  his  personal  appearance  was  concerned 
he  showed  little  sign  of  weakness  or  illness,  though 
there  was  loss  of  weight  and  vigour.  His  manner 
towards  those  about  him  was  as  cheerful  and  cordial 
as  ever. 

I  saw  him  after  the  morning  service  of  Thursday, 
25th  September  1902,  and  took  my  leave  of  him,  as 
I  was  sailing  on  the  following  Saturday  for  a  short 
visit  to  New  York.  In  taking  my  hand  at  part'ng 
Dr  Parker  said,  in  a  voice  full  of  emotion  :  "  God  be 
with  you.  I  shall  not  say  good-bye." 

I  was  only  a  fortnight  in  America,  and  during  that 
time  learned  from  the  newspapers  that  the  Doctor 
preached  on  Sunday  morning  and  evening,  28th 
September,  and  again  on  the  Thursday  morning 
following,  but  that  on  the  next  Sunday,  although 
no  notice  had  been  given  by  him,  he  failed  to  appear 

108 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

at  the  City  Temple  in  the  morning.  Then  the  fact 
became  known  that  he  was  seriously  ill,  and  doubts 
were  at  once  published  as  to  whether  he  would  ever 
enter  the  pulpit  again. 

I  returned  to  England  on  25th  October,  and  im- 
mediately wrote  to  him  to  know  how  he  was ;  in 
reply  I  received  a  private  message  to  go  to  see 
him  at  once.  I  found  him  sitting  in  an  arm-chair, 
his  legs  stretched  out  in  front  of  him.  He  put  out 
both  his  hands  to  welcome  me,  and  said  :  "  I  cannot 
rise."  He  was  much  interested  to  hear  about  my 
visit  to  the  States,  and  asked  many  questions  about 
mutual  friends.  So  far  as  his  voice  was  concerned, 
he  spoke  firmly  and  without  effort.  I  said  :  "  Tell 
me  how  you  really  feel.  Are  you  in  pain  ? "  He 
replied  :  "  Yes ;  in  terrible  pain  at  times,  but  at  the 
present  moment  I  am  free  from  pain  ;  but  I  am  sure 
my  case  is  beyond  medical  relief,  and  I  am  glad  this 
is  so.  I  have  finished  all  my  work  in  this  world, 
and  I  am  chiefly  thinking  of  what  is  going  on  up 
there !  I  long  to  go."  I  spoke  to  him  cheerfully, 
but  not  lightly,  of  his  ailments.  I  left  after  the  lapse 
of  half-an-hour.  I  had  spoken  to  him  of  his  brave 
attempt  to  resume  his  work  during  the  previous 
month,  and  he  remarked  :  "  I  was  determined  to  do 
so,  even  if  I  fell  on  the  pulpit  stairs."  He  alluded 
with  considerable  feeling  to  an  invitation  sent  him 
by  the  Bishop  of  Ripon  to  use  his  marine  residence 
if  he  so  desired.  He  also  said  that  he  was  thankful 
The  Times  newspaper  had  published  his  letter  on 
the  Education  Act,  but  added :  "  I  shall  never  know, 

109 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

on   this   earth,    what   the   result   of   this   educational 
controversy  will  be." 

This  was  my  last  interview  with  him.  I  received 
daily  bulletins  as  to  his  health  until  his  death,  28th 
November  1902.  He  was  buried  in  the  same  plot 
of  ground  at  Hampstead  where  his  wife  lay. 


no 


CHAPTER   VIII 

Home  Life — Dr  Parker  and  Pearl — Illustrated  Letters — My  Daughter 
Pearl's  Early  Life — A  Mimic — Her  Studiousness — Reads  Thackeray 
— Effect  of  Toole's  Acting  and  Others — Her  First  Book — Her 
First  Play — Education  of  my  Sons — Dorothy — Her  Marriage. 

IN  1880  we  removed  to  Porchester  Terrace,  Hyde 
Park,  to  a  house  named  by  me  "  Sandyhook,"  of  which 
I  had  taken  a  lease  of  twenty-one  years.  This  was  a 
charming  residence,  with  gardens  in  front  and  rear, 
and  ivy  covering  porch  and  windows.  Here  my 
second  daughter  and  youngest  child  was  born — 
Dorothy  Christine.  My  family  then  consisted  of 
Pearl,  my  eldest  daughter ;  John  Morgan,  Nelson, 
and  Dorothy. 

Dr  Parker  took  a  deep  interest  in  Pearl  from  a  very 
early  age.  He  was  especially  fond  of  children,  and 
he  delighted  in  their  ideas.  Much  to  Pearl's  amuse- 
ment, Dr  Parker  occasionally  wrote  illustrated  notes 
to  her,  of  which  the  two  following  in  fac-simile  are 
samples. 

These  gave  infinite  pleasure  to  my  daughter,  and 
have  been  preserved  with  care.  At  a  later  date  Dr 
Parker  wrote  of  her  :  "  How  did  she  begin  the  world 
of  letters  ?  I  can  tell  you.  She  has  always  been  a 
devotee  of  the  family  ink-horn,  and  early  she  went 
in  even  for  printers'  ink.  Probably  I  was  the  first 

in 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

editor  who  received  and  printed  the  writings  of 
Pearl  Richards.  Do  you  wonder,  then,  that  I  feel 
upon  my  face  a  sheen  of  reflected  glory  ?  "  Dr  Parker 
delighted  to  show  his  friends  the  copy  of  her  first 
book  of  any  size — "  A  Study  in  Temptations,"  which 
she  inscribed:  "To  my  first  Reviewer,  Dr  Joseph 
Parker,  the  first  also  to  encourage  my  childish  at- 
tempts at  literary  composition ;  the  first  to  prize 
work  which  was  only  remarkable  for  its  gigantic 
intentions." 

Pearl  from  early  infancy  manifested  traits  which 
indicated  a  faculty  for  literary  composition.  As  a 
child  she  was  a  keen  observer  of  those  about  her, 
and  imitated  their  peculiarities  of  speech  and  manners. 
She  was  a  born  mimic,  inheriting  this  faculty  from 
her  mother ;  while  through  my  ancestry  she  grew 
up  with  perhaps  unusually  strong  religious  instincts, 
manifested  in  early  womanhood  by  the  constant 
analysis  of  the  serious  problems  of  life. 

Upon  one  occasion,  in  a  Congregational    Church 
where   the    Holy  Communion  was  to  be   celebrated 
the   preacher   requested   those  who  desired  to   com- 
municate to  sit  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  church 
and  non-communicants  on  the  left.     To  this  she  made 
the   strongest   objection,    because   in   her    mind    she 
could  not  disassociate  the  division  from  the  separation 
of  the  sheep  and  the  goats. 

Her  mother  and  I  were  always  interested  to  note 

the  keenness  she  possessed  in  observing  occurrences 

that  were  in  any  way  unusual,  and  we  allowed  her 

to  follow  out  the  little  plans  she  formed  for  amuse- 

H  113 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

ment.  As  she  was  our  only  child  for  some  time,  she 
invented  imaginary  companions  to  whom  she  told 
stories  by  the  hour.  She  was  also  fond  of  dressing  up, 
and  acting  plays  of  her  own  improvisation.  As  she 
grew  older  her  powers  of  mimicry  were  still  further 
developed  ;  and  on  returning  from  her  daily  walk 
in  the  park  or  the  streets,  she  greatly  amused  her 
Mother  by  imitating  the  voices  of  people  she  had 
casually  seen,  actually  quoting  snatches  of  the  dia- 
logues she  had  heard  ;  the  upbraiding  of  one  another 
by  poor  people,  threats  used  by  mothers  to  their 
children,  or  tender  words  spoken  by  sweethearts. 
Strange  words  were  caught  up  in  this  way,  and  re- 
peated innocently  in  the  very  tone  of  voice  used,  and 
accompanied  with  the  facial  expression  of  those  who 
had  uttered  them. 

A  few  intimate  friends  who  heard  and  saw  these 
child  actings  were  greatly  surprised,  and  urged  her 
Mother  to  check  these  manifestations,  which  she  in 
her  better  wisdom  declined  to  do. 

She  became  the  natural  leader  in  all  gatherings  of 
children  of  her  own  age,  and  even  older  than  herself. 
Their  games  were  always  those  which  she  suggested, 
and  taught  to  those  who  were  ignorant  of  their 
character.  She  instilled  into  each  the  enthusi- 
asm and  merriment  with  which  she  was  liberally 
endowed ;  and  the  greatest  joy  always  pervaded 
the  children's  parties  in  my  house,  while  she  be- 
came the  chosen  favourite  of  every  party  given  by 
friends. 

In  this  way  she  passed  from  age  to  age  in  child- 

114 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

hood.  When  the  time  came  for  the  appearance  of  a 
governess  she  entered  upon  her  lessons  with  en- 
thusiasm, and  her  Mother  never  had  to  say  to  her : 
"  Go  and  study  your  lessons."  The  appetite  to  learn 
grew  in  strength  as  she  advanced  in  years.  She 
petitioned  me  and  her  mother  to  indulge  in  fresh 
studies,  and  not  to  reduce  the  number  of  those  which 
were  set  her.  She  was  educated  in  London,  Boston, 
and  Paris — chiefly  by  tutors. 

Her  progress  was  such  as  to  occasionally  cause 
embarrassment  and  surprise,  to  her  teachers.  One 
lady  gravely  confided  to  her  mother  the  fact  that  the 
girl  knew  "the  whole  of"  Thackeray,  and  read  him 
in  school-hours,  and  she  did  not  think  Thackeray 
was  an  author  any  girl  of  thirteen  ought  to  be  allowed 
to  read.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  no  restriction  was 
placed  upon  her  reading,  and  although  she  read,  no 
doubt,  every  work  of  fiction  she  could  find,  she  also 
read  a  great  deal  of  history,  poetry,  and  philosophy. 
She  had  a  love  of  Picture  Galleries  and  Museums, 
and  went  constantly  to  the  National  Gallery  and  the 
British  Museum. 

She  became  an  excellent  musician,  and  developed 
a  sweet  voice  of  great  flexibility. 

At  an  early  period  she  indulged  her  cosmopolitan 
instincts  by  inducing  her  nurse  to  place  her  on  the 
table  in  the  nursery,  and  wheel  the  table  from  side 
to  side,  while  she  stretched  cords  across  the  room 
to  hooks  in  the  walls,  and,  attaching  small  pulleys, 
drew  little  parcels  towards  herself  from  all  quarters 
of  the  globe. 

"5 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

As  soon  as  she  was  capable  of  writing  with  ease 
she  indulged  in  the  composition  of  fiction — and  this 
took  a  singular  turn.  She  wrote  for  the  maid-servants 
letters  to  their  sweethearts,  and  the  unconventionality 
of  these  missives  often  led  to  quarrels  and  misunder- 
standings between  the  lovers.  It  is  possible  that  her 
ironic  humour  was  scarcely  soothing  to  the  vanity  of 
an  adored  police  sergeant. 

The  dramatic  instinct  was  so  strong  that  she  en- 
treated me  to  buy  a  toy  theatre  for  her,  with  pasteboard 
figures  representing  the  characters ;  and  she  would 
invent  the  story  to  fit  the  drama,  making  little  speeches 
for  each  character  as  she  pushed  them  on  to  the  stage. 
This  love  of  the  theatre,  I  should  confess,  she  may 
have  inherited  from  me. 

A  governess  at  the  school  she  attended  told  my 
wife  in  great  alarm  that  Pearl  was  in  the  habit  of 
sitting  on  a  table,  with  the  girls  around  her,  crying 
with  laughter,  at  her  imitations  of  the  men  and 
women  she  had  met  in  the  street. 

When  in  her  ninth  year  Pearl  was  presented  to 
the  late  General  U.  S.  Grant.  The  occasion  was 
this.  After  the  term  of  his  second  Presidency  of  the 
United  States  ended,  he  made  the  grand  tour  of 
Europe,  and  coming  to  London,  a  reception  was 
held  at  the  house  of  Mr  John  Welsh,  the  United 
States  Minister.  Mrs  Richards  and  I  were  invited ; 
but  neither  of  us  could  attend,  and,  to  her  great 
delight,  Pearl  was  entrusted  with  a  bouquet  of  roses, 
cornflowers,  and  lilies,  to  present  to  the  General. 
This  was  accomplished  in  a  very  graceful  manner, 

116 


PEARL  MARY   TERESA   CRAIGIB. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  General  Grant  rewarded  her  with  a  soldier's 
hearty  thanks. 

A  curious  experience  befell  my  wife,  myself,  and 
Pearl  on  our  first  visit  to  Paris  in  1869.  The  novelty 
of  our  surroundings  was  delightful,  and  we  were  quite 
fascinated  with  the  city. 

Pearl  was  then  a  child  of  three  years,  and  we  were 
assured,  before  starting,  that  there  was  no  necessity 
for  our  taking  a  nurse  specially  to  look  after  her. 
We,  however,  were  rudely  awakened  from  our  con- 
fidence at  dinner-time.  This  was  at  table  d'hote,  in 
the  hotel.  Walking  into  the  dining-room,  we  were 
stopped  by  the  Manager,  who  politely  informed  us 
that  a  child  was  not  allowed  to  dine  with  the  adults 
in  the  public  dining-room.  I  was  at  first  rather 
indignant,  but  quickly  saw  the  reasonableness  of  the 
prohibition.  The  manager  suggested  that  we  should 
leave  our  daughter  in  the  care  of  the  femme  de 
chambre,  which  we  did,  and  then  proceeded  to  our 
meal.  We  felt  that  this  course  would  be  very  in- 
convenient, to  be  separated  at  each  meal,  and  the 
difficulty  was  solved  by  removing  to  a  private  hotel. 
Here  the  Manageress  informed  us  that  there  was  a 
Spanish  nurse  in  want  of  an  engagement  stopping 
in  the  hotel,  and  we  engaged  this  young  woman  at 
once.  She  had  been  in  the  service  of  the  Queen  of 
Spain,  who  was  then  living  with  her  son,  the  Prince 
of  Asturias,  in  her  own  mansion  near  the  Arc  de 
Triomphe  ;  and  here  the  nurse  on  several  occasions 
took  Pearl  to  play  with  the  Prince,  who  afterwards 
became  King  of  Spain  under  the  title  of  Alfonso  XII. 

117 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

On  the  first  occasion  I  took  her  to  the  theatre, 
which  she  had  expressed  a  longing  to  attend,  the 
play  was  "The  Steeple  Chase;"  or,  "  Toole  in  Pig- 
skins," with  John  L.  Toole  playing  the  part  of 
"Tittums."  To  my  astonishment,  before  he  had 
been  on  the  stage  thirty  minutes,  she  began  to  cry, 
and  made  such  a  disturbance  that  I  was  obliged  to 
take  her  out.  Toole  appeared  as  a  guest  in  a  hotel 
very  much  neglected.  He  was  continually  ringing  the 
bells,  putting  his  head  out  of  the  door,  and  shouting 
out  to  the  servants  for  first  one  thing — his  boots,  then 
hot  water,  and  finishing  up  each  demand  with  the  ex- 
clamation :  "  Oh,  this  does  make  me  so  wild  !  "  Pearl 
took  the  matter  too  seriously,  and  sympathised  with 
the  actor  so  sincerely  as  to  be  completely  overcome 
with  anguish. 

Upon  another  occasion,  when  I  took  her  to  the 
Haymarket  to  see  Mr  and  Mrs  Kendal  in  "  Pygmalion 
and  Galatea,"  a  similar  experience  befell  me,  my 
daughter  being  overcome  by  Pygmalion's  appeal 
to  the  statue  to  return  to  life.  She  soon  forgot  the 
sorrow  of  her  experiences,  however,  and  up  to  her 
tenth  year  there  was  scarcely  a  week  passed  in  which 
she  did  not  attend  an  afternoon  performance  at  one  or 
other  of  the  theatres,  accompanied  by  a  nurse.  I  re- 
member taking  her  myself  to  see  the  late  Joseph 
Jefferson  in  "  Rip  Van  Winkle"  at  the  Princess 
Theatre,  and  her  appreciation  of  that  marvellous 
actor  was  not  less  sincere  than  my  own. 

As  a  child  she  went  frequently  on  voyages  to  and 
fro  the  United  States,  and  accompanied  me  often  on 

118 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

my  journeys  to  France,  Germany,  and  elsewhere. 
Then  she  has  visited  friends  in  England,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland. 

Her  taste  for  describing  foreign  places  and  char- 
acters is  due  to  the  fact  that  her  earliest  impressions 
were  formed,  no  doubt,  travelling ;  and  although  her 
life,  since  she  was  sixteen,  has  been  mostly  spent  in 
England,  she  has  lived  a  great  deal  abroad,  and  in 
many  parts  of  the  world.  It  is  quite  certain  that  she 
has  never  drawn  any  scene,  or  presented  any  situa- 
tion, or  analysed  any  type  of  temperament,  except 
through  the  light  of  absolute  personal  knowledge  and 
observation. 

Her  first  professional  literary  work  was  journalism 
and  art  criticism,  which  she  began  soon  after  her 
marriage,  at  nineteen,  with  Mr  Reginald  Walpole 
Craigie,  in  February  1887. 

Mrs  Craigie  devoted  herself  with  great  assiduity 
to  the  serious  composition  of  literary  work,  and  her 
first  published  book  was  entitled  :  "  Some  Emotions 
and  a  Moral."  It  was  published  in  her  twenty- 
third  year.  When  this  was  ready  for  publication 
she  refused  all  help  in  obtaining  a  publisher, 
and  insisted  that  whatever  she  wrote  should  re- 
ceive no  other  help  towards  publication,  than  the 
merit  there  was  in  the  composition.  The  MS. 
was  first  offered  by  her  to  Messrs  Macmillan, 
and  in  returning  this  with  a  kind  note,  they  sug- 
gested that  the  title  of  the  book  should  be  altered, 
and  that  the  last  chapter  should  be  revised,  when 
they  would  be  glad  to  become  the  publishers. 

119 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

This  she  declined  to  do,  and  the  MS.  was  next 
offered  to  Mr  Fisher  Unwin,  who  accepted  the  work 
for  his  Pseudonym  Library.  At  first,  Mr  Unwin  has 
since  told  me,  he  felt  a  little  nervous  as  to  the  result; 
but  a  week  after  the  publication  he  wrote  Mrs  Craigie, 
saying:  "  Your  book  is  a  success  for  both  author  and 
publisher."  Since  that  time,  with  one  or  two  excep- 
tions only,  Mr  Fisher  Unwin  has  published  all  her 
works. 

The  first  play  she  wrote  was  "  Journeys  End  in 
Lovers  Meeting" — a  proverb,  which  was  performed 
at  Daly's  Theatre  by  Miss  Ellen  Terry,  Mr  Forbes 
Robertson,  and  the  late  William  Terris,  and  was 
greatly  commended.  Miss  Ellen  Terry  bought  the 
copyright,  and  has  many  times  since  appeared  therein, 
both  at  the  Lyceum  Theatre,  London,  and  when  on 
tour  in  the  United  States. 

"The  Ambassador,"  her  next  play,  was  produced 
at  the  St  James's  Theatre,  under  the  management  of 
Mr  George  Alexander,  in  1899.  The  success  of  the 
piece  is  well  known,  and  the  play  is  now  famous  as 
having  enjoyed  the  longest  run  of  any  piece  pro- 
duced by  Mr  Alexander  at  the  St  James's  Theatre. 

Another  highly  successful  play  was  "  The  Bishop's 
Move,"  in  which  Mr  Arthur  Bourchier  gave  a  most 
touching  and  impressive  performance  of  the  old 
French  Bishop.  Her  one-act  play  "A  Repentance," 
which  was  as  generously  praised  as  it  was  curiously 
misunderstood,  is  considered  by  many  one  of  her  best 
dramatic  works.  It  was  first  produced  at  the  St 
James's  Theatre,  and  especially  performed  at  Caris- 


I2O 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

brooke  Castle  during  the  reign  of  the  late  Queen. 
It  has  since  been  translated  into  Italian,  Spanish, 
and  French.  Possibly  its  subject — the  first  Carlist 
War — was  not  sufficiently  local  for  the  average 
London  play-goer. 

The  question  as  to  the  education  of  my  sons 
occupied  my  thoughts  and  those  of  Mrs  Richards 
very  much  during  their  infancy.  They  were  first 
taught  to  read  and  write  at  home.  Then,  when  old 
enough,  they  went  to  Mr  Wilkinson's  school  in 
Orme  Square,  and  two  years  later  to  Appuldur 
Combe  School,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  recently  pur- 
chased by  a  French  religious  community.  The  school 
buildings  were  previously  the  residence  of  the  Earl 
of  Yarborough — a  most  attractive  place.  After  two 
years  they  were  entered  at  Eastbourne  College, 
and  remained  there  until  they  went  up  to  Cambridge. 
My  eldest  son  entered  Trinity  College,  Cambridge, 
and  my  second  Trinity  Hall,  and  each  remained 
the  full  term  prescribed.  On  leaving  Cambridge 
both,  from  choice,  entered  my  business  establish- 
ment, and  after  the  preliminary  training  had  been 
gone  through,  my  firm  having  been  turned  into  a 
limited  liability  company,  they  became  directors, 
and  obtained  an  interest  in  the  company. 

In  my  boyhood  I  was  very  fond  of  reading  a  series 
of  books  called  the  "  Rollo  Books,"  written  by  Jacob 
Abbot,  a  clergyman,  and  a  distinguished  writer  of 
juvenile  books.  The  "  Rollo  Philosophy "  was  re- 
garded as  perfect  teaching  for  little  American  boys. 
The  series  included  such  topics  as  "At  Work,"  "At 


121 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Play,"  "  Vacation,"  and  "At  School";  and  the  Philos- 
ophy included  the  subjects  of  Water,  Air,  Fire,  and  Sky. 
In  1882,  on  one  of  my  visits  to  New  York,  I  purchased 
a  set  of  these  volumes,  and  returned  with  them  as 
a  present  to  my  sons.  I  explained  my  early  interest 
in  them,  and  their  great  popularity  among  school  lads 
of  my  day,  and  suggested  that  the  books  should  have 
an  early  reading.  I  soon  discovered  that  neither 
of  my  boys  cared  for  them,  and  said  frankly  they  were 
not  interesting  to  them.  I  said  "Lend  the  books  to 
some  of  your  schoolfellows."  The  result  was  the 
same — they  would  not  read  them.  I  was  puzzled 
to  know  why  not.  The  best  answer  I  could  get 
was  that  the  method  was  too  simple,  lacked  fire, 
and  they  thought  them  weak  stuff.  The  teaching 
of  the  American  boy  is  quite  as  robust  as  the  English, 
age  for  age  :  I  had  to  conclude  that  forty  years  had 
wrought  changes,  and  perhaps  my  favourite  Rollo 
Books  were  now  read  and  appreciated  by  much 
younger  boys  than  in  the  days  I  refer  to  ;  that  tame 
adventures  in  which  some  highly  moral  truth  was 
developed  were  not  interesting.  The  boy  of  the 
present  day  preferring  the  "adventures"  and  the 
"  moral "  in  stronger,  and  separate,  doses. 

Nelson  Richards  married  in  1898  Dorothy  Bishop, 
daughter  of  our  neighbour,  Captain  Edgar  Bishop  ; 
they  have  two  sons,  Arnold  and  James  ;  but  my  eldest 
son  remains  a  bachelor. 

In  October  1902  my  daughter  Dorothy  was  married 
to  Mr  George  W.  Y.  Prendergast,  eldest  son  of 
General  Sir  Harry  Prendergast,  V.C.,  G.C.B. 

122 


MRS.  CRAIGIE  AT  LANCASTER  GATE. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Directly  after  marriage  she  proceeded  with  her  hus- 
band to  Scutari,  Albania,  where  he  held  the  post 
of  British  Vice-Consul,  and  Charge  d'Affaires  at 
Cettinge.  Taken  ill  in  1903,  he  obtained  leave  of 
absence,  and  on  his  way  to  England  was  obliged 
to  loiter  for  a  while  at  Mentone,  where  he  died  in 
January  1903,  leaving  one  son,  born  in  August  1902, 
named  Jeffrey. 


123 


CHAPTER  IX 

First  Visit  to  a  Theatre — "  Romeo  and  Juliet " — A  morning  Call — Tenants 
and  Rent-collecting  in  New  York — My  early  Acquaintance  with  Mr 
Joseph  Jefferson  the  Actor — Edwin  Forrest — F.  B.  Conway — 
Dan  Bryant — The  London  Stage  in  1867-68. — Mrs  Dallas  Glyn — 
Her  Gifts  and  Death — An  Experience  at  Steinway  Hall — Racers 
through  London. 

FROM  my  earliest  years  I  had  a  very  unusual 
inclination  to  visiting  theatres,  and  went  as  often 
as  possible.  The  first  playhouse  I  ever  visited  was 
the  St  Charles'  Theatre  in  New  Orleans,  when  in 
my  twelfth  year,  when  I  was  taken  to  see  "  Romeo 
and  Juliet."  Mr  Charles  Pope,  a  popular  young 
actor  in  the  Southern  States,  took  the  part  of 
Romeo,  and  the  part  of  Juliet  was  taken  by  Miss 
Julia  Dean.  A  curtain-raiser  preceded  the  drama, 
entitled  "The  Morning  Call."  This  was  only  a 
duologue,  in  which  Pope  and  Julia  Dean  took  part, 
and,  to  the  disappointment  of  friends  who  took  me 
to  the  theatre,  I  was  more  interested  in  "  The 
Morning  Call "  than  I  was  in  Shakespeare's  great 
drama.  I  indulged  my  love  of  the  theatre  so  much 
that,  while  yet  a  boy,  I  had  witnessed  the  perform- 
ances of  nearly  every  popular  player  of  the  day, 
and  most  of  the  important  productions  of  all  play- 
wrights. On  first  entering  upon  work  in  New  York, 
my  uncle,  Mr  Edward  Cowles  Richards  (to  whom 

124 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

I  have  already  referred  as  a  large  real  estate  owner 
in  New  York),  employed  me  to  collect  his  rents, 
which  I  did  in  the  evening,  after  work  hours.  The 
rents  were  drawn  chiefly  from  monthly  tenants. 
From  a  list  I  have  preserved  I  find  I  had  upwards 
of  sixty  people  to  call  upon  every  month.  Some 
of  the  people  occupied  single  floors  in  tenement 
houses,  while  others  occupied  an  entire  house. 

Amongst  the  latter  was  a  house  in  East  Twelfth 
Street,  New  York,  which  was  in  the  occupation  of 
Mr  Joseph  Jefferson,  the  famous  actor,  who  at  that 
time  was  fulfilling  an  engagement  at  Laura  Keene's 
Theatre  in  New  York,  as  Asa  Trenchard  in  "  Our 
American  Cousin."  Mr  Jefferson  nearly  always 
detained  me  when  I  called  for  the  rent  to  have 
a  little  conversation  with  him,  and  I  was  never  loth 
to  stay.  Upon  one  occasion,  after  a  summer  holiday, 
he  told  me  he  had  been  amongst  the  Kaatskill 
Mountains,  the  scene  of  Washington  Irving's  story 
which  he  had  dramatised  ;  and  also  at  an  old  Dutch 
farmhouse  in  Paradise  Valley,  foot  of  Pocono 
Mountain,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  that  he  had  been 
trying  to  learn  to  speak  the  Knickerbocker  Dutch, 
as  he  intended,  after  the  run  of  "  Our  American 
Cousin,"  to  produce,  if  possible,  the  play  of  "  Rip 
Van  Winkle "  ;  in  which  character  he  made  his  life- 
long success  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  To 
illustrate  his  proficiency  in  the  study  of  the  Dutch 
dialect  he  sang  for  me,  in  the  presence  of  his  wife, 
the  famous  Dutch  drinking  song,  and  also  spoke 
the  well-known  toast :  "  Here's  good  health ;  your 

"5 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

family's  good  health :  may  you  all  live  long,  and 
prosper,"  which  I  must  have  heard  a  long  time 
before  any  public  audience. 

During  one  of  my  calls  he  explained  that  he 
should  not  introduce  the  dog  "Schneider"  in  the 
coming  play,  and  gave  a  reason  which  I  do  not 
remember.  But  I  have  since  read  that  he  gave  the 
following  reply  to  the  inquiry,  "  Why  not  have  the 
dog  in  the  play?": — "I  dislike  realism  in  art. 
Shakespeare  tells  us :  '  Hold  the  mirror  up  to 
Nature,'  which  means  :  '  Don't  hold  Nature  up,  but 
a  reflection  of  the  thing.'  "  When  asked  :  "  Why  do 
you  not  refuse  the  cup  which  Gretchen  offers  you 
at  the  end  of  the  play?"  he  answered:  "Should  'Rip' 
refuse  the  cup  the  drama  would  at  once  become 
a  temperance  play.  It  would  take  all  the  poetry 
and  fairy-tale  out  of  it."  He  added  later  :  "It  would 
be  a  deception  to  announce  a  play  and  preach  a 
sermon." 

By  a  singular  coincidence,  about  fifteen  years  later, 
when  Jefferson  came  to  London  for  a  second  visit, 
he  rented  for  a  time  Tavistock  House,  Tavistock 
Square,  once  the  residence  of  Charles  Dickens,  which 
was  nearly  opposite  my  own  residence  in  Upper 
Woburn  Place. 

Another  actor  who  was  a  tenant  on  the  Richards 
estate  in  New  York  was  Mr  F.  B.  Conway,  an 
English  actor  of  distinction,  who,  with  his  wife,  were 
both  playing  in  the  company  of  Mr  Edwin  Forest, 
at  Niblo's  Garden,  New  York.  Mr  Forest  was 
said  to  be  the  cause  of  the  Astor  Place  riots,  when 

126 


STAGE   FAVOURITES    IN    AMERICA    IN    THE    SIXTIES    AND    AFTER. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Mr  W.  C.  Macready  made  his  first  appearance  in 
New  York — he  being  charged  with  having  caused 
Edwin  Forest  on  his  first  appearance  at  Drury  Lane 
Theatre  to  be  hissed.  Probably  the  charge  was 
wholly  untrue,  as  each  actor  was  highly  esteemed 
by  his  own  countrymen,  and  the  Americans  thought 
fit  to  resent  what  they  fancied  was  an  insult  offered 
to  their  countryman.  On  Mr  Macready  leaving  the 
theatre  a  riot  occurred,  which  was  only  quelled  by 
the  interference  of  the  police  and  military.  Mr 
Conway  was  a  large  and  powerful  man,  but  not  quite 
so  robust  in  appearance  as  Mr  Forest,  and  so  he 
was  especially  chosen  by  Mr  Forest  to  play  second 
part  to  him.  Conway,  on  entering  upon  the  stage, 
always  had  a  good  reception,  but  Forest  was  in- 
variably received  with  greater  enthusiasm. 

Mr  Conway,  I  remember,  was  not  quite  as  prompt 
in  money  matters  as  Mr  Jefferson,  and  I  rarely  ob- 
tained what  was  due  either  on  my  first  or  second  call. 
At  last  my  uncle  told  me,  as  the  rent  was  in  consider- 
able arrears,  I  was  to  tell  him  that,  unless  the  rent 
were  paid,  he  must  vacate  the  premises — the  house 
having  been  taken  upon  a  monthly  rental.  I  am 
bound  to  admit  that  when  the  time  came  to  deliver 
the  message  I  did  so  with  considerable  hesitancy,  and 
with  difficulty  delivered  the  whole  message.  He, 
however,  was  not  in  the  least  perturbed,  and  was 
most  polite,  and  seemed  greatly  amused.  He  gave 
me  his  answer  in  his  best  stage  manner,  which  I  have 
never  forgotten.  Rising  from  his  chair,  he  stood 
in  front  of  me,  and  said,  with  an  arm  upraised  :  "  Tell 

127 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Mr  Richards  that  in  my  profession  we  are  oft  in 
affluence  to-day,  and  as  poor  as  Job's  turkey  to-morrow; 
but  if  you  will  do  me  the  honour  of  calling  to-morrow 
morning  I  will  see  that  the  money  is  placed  in  your 
hands."  Then  he  waved  a  farewell  with  his  hand, 
and  left  the  room,  as  if  he  were  retiring  from  the 
stage. 

In  this  particular  instance  the  actor  kept  his  word, 
and  when  I  called  the  next  morning  he  tendered 
me  the  money  with  smiles,  and  in  his  most  courteous 
manner, 

Another  of  my  uncle's  tenants  was  Dan  Bryant,  an 
Irishman  by  birth,  but  a  naturalised  American  citizen. 
He  was  the  head  of  the  most  successful  minstrel 
troupe  in  the  United  States,  and  became  very  pros- 
perous. My  uncle  said  to  him  when  he  came  about 
the  tenancy  :  "  Mr  Bryant,  I  am  quite  willing  to  let 
you  this  house,  and,  of  course,  I  know  what  your 
business  is,  and  I  hear  on  all  sides  that  this  is  very 
lucrative,  but  after  all  I  must  have  a  reference." 
I  heard  this  conversation  myself.  Dan  replied  :  "  Re- 
ference ! — there  will  be  no  reference  from  me.  I  will 
put  up  the  good  substantial  'soap'  for  the  whole 
year's  rent  in  advance." 

This  was,  of  course,  satisfactory,  and  as  long  as 
he  remained,  there  was  no  .question  as  to  the  rent. 

In  going  through  these  experiences  I  acquired  the 
best  possible  training  for  the  future  that  was  before 
me,  in  teaching  me  the  various  ways  of  approaching 
people,  engaged  in  various  businesses. 

This  was  another  of  the  causes  which  led  me  to 

128 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

become  greatly  interested  in  theatres,  and  seeing 
the  most  eminent  actors  and  actresses  performing. 

So  I  was  led,  soon  after  my  arrival  in  London, 
to  visit  the  New  Queen's  Theatre  in  Long  Acre, 
where  I  saw  for  the  first  time  Henry  Irving  and 
John  L.  Toole,  Lionel  Brough  and  Charles  Wyndham, 
in  "  Dearer  than  Life."  The  leading  lady  upon  that 
occasion  was  Miss  Henrietta  Hodgson,  now  Mrs 
Labouchere. 

Soon  after  I  found  my  way  to  the  Haymarket 
Theatre,  where  Buckstone  was  playing,  and  Miss 
Madge  Robertson,  now  Mrs  Kendal,  was  the  leading 
lady.  The  play  was  "A  Wife  well  Won." 

I  soon  found  out  that  there  was  a  second  piece 
at  the  theatre,  and  that  by  following  this  device 
I  could  attend  two  theatres  the  same  evening, 
admission  after  nine  being  half  price.  Into  this  I  fell 
very  readily,  but  was  not  altogether  satisfied  with 
the  broken  performance. 

At  that  time  Ben  Webster  was  lessee  of,  and 
playing  at,  ti\zAdelphi  Theatre  in  "  No  Thoroughfare." 
In  his  company  was  the  charming  Fechter,  George 
Belmore,  Henry  Neville,  and  John  Billington — Mrs 
Alfred  Mellon  as  leading  lady. 

At  the  Princess  Theatre  I  saw  "  The  Colleen 
Bawn,"  with  Dion  Boucicault  and  his  gifted  wife, 
Miss  Agnes  Robertson,  both  of  whom  I  had  seen 
act  in  New  York.  At  the  Prince  of  Wales  Theatre 
was  Miss  Marie  Wilton,  Mr  S.  B.  Bancroft  (now  Sir 
Squire  Bancroft),  and  Mr  Hare.  The  Robertson 
comedies  were  drawing  the  town.  Mr  Bancroft's 
i  129 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

fine  impersonation  of  Jack  Poyntz  in  "  School  "  lingers 
in  my  memory.  I  can  yet  hear  his  inimitable  manner 
in  giving  the  reply  to  Farintosh,  who  offers  him 

his  snuff-box,  and  asks  :  "  Do  you ?"  "  Yes,  /  do 

everything." 

Again  I  was  present  at  the  first  performance  of 
Henry  Irving  in  his  first  important  engagement 
with  Mr  Bateman,  the  American  manager  who  took 
the  Lyceum  Theatre  for  the  purpose  of  introducing 
his  daughters  Kate  and  Isabel ;  but  this  was  only  a 
moderate  success.  Mr  Irving  played  the  part  of 
Landry  Barbau  in  "Fanchette,"  and  Jeremy  Diddler 
in  "  Raising  the  Wind,"  and  Jingle  in  "  Pickwick." 

Mr  Bateman  had  thoughts  at  that  time  of  re- 
linguishing  theatrical  work,  but  was  offered  by  Mr 
Wills  "The  Bells,"  which  he  accepted,  Henry  Irving 
playing  the  part  of  Mathias,  and  for  this  remarkable 
performance  of  his,  he  became  famous.  This  really 
marked  the  commencement  of  his  great  career. 

I  visited  the  Gaiety  Theatre  to  see  Byron's  play 
of  "  Uncle  Dick's  Darling,"  which  had  enjoyed  a  good 
run.  Mr  J.  L.  Toole  took  the  part  of  Uncle  Dick  ; 
and  apart  from  the  interest  excited  in  his  impersona- 
tion of  the  character,  and  his  great  reputation  in  Eng- 
land, I  was  anxious,  in  view  of  his  impending  visit 
to  the  States,  to  learn  what  an  American  thought 
of  Mr  Toole's  probability  of  success  in  the  States. 

Mr  Toole's  early  appearance  in  America  was  not 
entirely  successful,  but  he  remained  for  a  year,  visiting 
all  principal  cities.  It  was  thought  that  he  had  made 
a  mistake  in  selecting  Albery's  play,"  Wig  and  Gown," 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

as  his  opening  play  in  New  York.  The  New  York 
Herald  called  it  a  tedious  and  uninteresting  play, 
and  added :  "  But  not  one  who  knew  Toole  that 
would  not  have  exchanged  a  thousand  hours  of  "  Wig 
and  Gown"  for  one  of  "  Artful  Dodger." 

He  revised  his  programme,  and  appeared  afterwards 
in  the  plays  which  had  won  for  him  such  fame  in 
Great  Britain,  and  was  most  thoroughly  appreciated. 

Both  Mrs  Craigie  and  her  mother  were  my  constant 
companions  at  these  performances,  and  at  all  my 
visits  to  theatres — Mrs  Craigie  being  at  that  time 
from  seven  to  eight  years  of  age. 

In  the  early  seventies  a  number  of  the  popular 
actors  and  actresses  from  the  United  States  visited 
England,  and  I  had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing 
the  performances  of  John  S.  Clarke,  Edwin  Booth, 
John  E.  Owens,  Charles  R.  Thorne,  Stuart  Robson, 
Mrs  John  Wood,  and  others. 

Mr  J.  S.  Clarke  played  a  long  engagement  at 
the  Strand  Theatre.  His  appearance  in  Dr  Pan  gloss 
in  the  "  Heir-at-Law  "  was  a  great  triumph.  Mrs 
John  Wood  was  also  playing  at  St  James's  Theatre, 
and  drew  the  town  in  her  fine  impersonation  of 
"  Pocahontas,  the  Gentle  Savage."  Mr  John  E.  Owens 
had  made  an  enormous  success  in  America  as  Solon 
Shingle  in  the  play  called  "The  People's  Lawyer," 
but  in  London,  at  the  Adelphi  Theatre,  he  was  unable 
to  excite  much  laughter.  Owens  in  the  course  of  the 
play  was  called  as  a  witness  in  the  case  in  which 
"  A  Bar'l  of  Apple  Sass  "  was  in  dispute,  and  the  fun 
of  the  piece  was  supposed  to  begin  upon  his  entering 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  Court,  and  familiarly  addressing  the  Judge  :  "  Wai, 
Squire,  how  dew  do  you  do  ?  " — adding  that  he  wished 
to  give  evidence  in  the  "  Bar'l  of  Apple  Sass  "  case. 
The  whole  point,  however,  failed,  as  an  English 
audience  did  not  understand  what  really  a  "  Bar'l 
of  Apple  Sass  "  meant.1  At  the  back  of  the  Judge's 
chair  there  was  a  painting  of  the  Goddess  of  Justice, 
with  eyes  blindfolded.  Solon  Shingle,  looking  at 
the  figure,  remarks  : 

"  Say,  Judge,  is  that  lady  behind  you  with  the  sore 
eyes  any  ways  related  to  you,  sir  ?  " 

Finally,  when  the  case  was  proceeding,  he  took 
a  great  hunk  of  tobacco  out  of  his  cheek,  which  he 
placed  on  the  side  of  the  witness-box  while  he  gave 
evidence,  and  the  act,  instead  of  exciting  laughter, 
rather  disgusted  the  audience.  After  four  or  five  repre- 
sentations the  piece  was  withdrawn,  and  Mr  Owens 
returned  to  the  United  States  a  disappointed  man. 

Charles  R.  Thorne  and  Stuart  Robson  appeared 
at  the  Gaiety  in  Boucicault's  "  Led  Astray,"  and  with 
success.  During  this  engagement  the  Theatre  Stalls 
were  first  advanced  to  ics.  6d.,  and  Dress  Circle 
to  75.  6d.,  and  soon  after  this  advance  was  adopted  by 
the  principal  London  theatres.  About  forty  years 
ago  the  only  music  halls  of  any  standing  were  the 
Alhambra  in  Leicester  Square,  and  "  Westons "  in 
Holborn.  About  this  time  the  attractions  of  "  Evans' 
Supper- Rooms,"  in  Covent  Garden,  were  on  the  wane. 

The  story  of  the  Alhambra  illustrates  the  remark- 
able improvement  which  has  taken  place  in  the  music 
1  A  Barrel  of  Apple  Sauce. 
132 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

halls,  within  the  memory  of  living  man,  not  only 
in  the  size  and  beauty  of  the  place  and  the  splendour 
of  the  ballets  and  other  scenes  presented,  but  also  the 
advance  in  public  taste  for  good  singing  and  acting, 
and  in  the  conduct  and  manners  of  the  audiences. 
There  are  those  still  living  who  remember  witnessing 
occurrences  in  the  Boxes  which  would  not  be  tolerated 
at  the  present  day.  In  1867  there  were  only  twelve 
theatres  of  importance  ;  there  are  now  forty-six. 
This  enormous  growth  means  the  greater  popularity 
of  theatrical  representations,  and  further,  to  the  in- 
creasing influx  of  visitors  from  the  Provinces,  America, 
and  all  quarters  of  the  Globe.  The  fact  is  well 
known  that  these  strangers  are  great  supporters  of 
theatres. 

A  similar  growth  is  evidenced  in  the  present  number 
and  character  of  metropolitan  hotels ;  the  steady 
increase  in  their  number  has  served  to  raise  their 
style  and  character  until  they  can  compare  with  the 
best  and  noblest  to  be  found  in  the  United  States 
or  upon  the  Continent  of  Europe. 

During  our  residence  in  Porchester  Terrace  my 
wife  and  I  became  acquainted  with  Miss  Isabelle 
Dallas  Glyn,  who  in  her  day  had  been  a  most  suc- 
cessful actress,  and  had  taken  leading  parts  in  many 
engagements  with  Charles  Kemble,  by  whom  she  was 
designated  "the  English  Rachel,"  and  received  the 
highest  encomiums  from  Macready  and  Phelps.  In 
the  height  of  her  career  she  was  married  to  Mr 
Dallas,  a  Times  critic ;  but  differences  ensuing,  they 
were  separated,  and  at  the  time  we  knew  her  she 

133 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

had  given  up  acting,  and  was  limiting  her  work  to 
readings,  and  giving  lessons  in  elocution.  I  introduce 
her  name  in  these  recollections  because  of  her  very 
interesting  career  as  an  actress  ;  and  of  the  entertain- 
ing faculty  she  had  of  talking  on  theatrical  subjects, 
which  I  was  always  interested  to  hear.  Most  of  her 
stories  were  of  the  golden  era  of  English  theatricals, 
rather  than  of  the  younger  actors  and  actresses,  and 
she  had  a  never-failing  supply  of  tales  and  anecdotes 
which  she  was  very  fond  of  relating.  My  wife  be- 
came much  attached  to  the  dear  old  lady,  and  she 
was  a  constant  visitor  to  my  house,  and  remained  so 
until  her  death,  iQth  May  1889. 

One  week  before  she  died  she  called  me  to  her 
bedside,  and  pointed  to  two  pictures  on  the  wall. 
One  was  a  mezzotint  of  herself  as  Cleopatra,  and  the 
other  a  line  engraving  of  Sheridan.  She  said  :  "  I 
want  to  present  these  pictures  to  you,  for  you  to 
remember  me  by  when  I  am  dead."  And  she  insisted 
that  her  servant  should  remove  them  from  the  wall, 
and  carry  them  to  my  cab,  at  that  same  visit.  This 
happened  at  13  Mount  Street,  Grosvenor  Square. 
I  hesitated  to  accept  such  valuable  pictures,  but 
nothing  would  serve  to  dissuade  her  from  her  pur- 
pose. She  had  a  long  illness,  and  being  unable  to 
read  or  give  lessons  her  resources  became  much 
reduced,  and  only  during  the  last  year  of  her  life  she 
received  a  Royal  Bounty.  The  Royal  Literary  Fund 
also  ministered  to  her  wants  ;  and  during  the  last  two 
months  a  fund  was  started  by  Sir  Henry  Irving  and 
Miss  Ellen  Terry,  which  secured  many  comforts  for 

134 


Miss  GLYN  AS  CLEOPATRA,    1853 
(From  a  crayon  drawing  by  A.   SOLOMON. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

her  up  to  the  time  of  her  death,  in  her  sixty-eighth 
year. 

A  week  before  her  death  she  told  Mrs  Richards 
she  would  very  much  like  to  see  Canon  Farrar,  to 
which  he  gladly  assented.  He  asked  her  if  she  had 
any  fear  of  death,  and  her  answer  was  :  "If  I  have 
had  the  courage  to  live,  why  should  I  be  afraid  to 
die  ?  " 

At  that  time  an  American  lady  was  visiting  us, 
and  expressed  a  great  wish  to  see  her,  and  she  gave 
her  consent  to  this.  At  the  interview  Miss  Glyn 
said  to  her :  "  Madam,  my  greatest  successes  in  life 
have  been  death  scenes." 

At  her  funeral  in  Kensal  Green  there  was  a  large 
attendance  of  professional  and  private  friends,  and 
Canon  Fleming  was  amongst  the  mourners. 

Upon  two  occasions  only  have  I  been  induced  to 
enter  into  speculative  public  entertainments.  One 
was  the  giving  of  a  series  of  readings  by  Miss  Glyn 
in  Steinway  Hall,  and  another  was  the  giving  of 
monologue  entertainments  by  Mr  Stephen  Massett. 
My  wish  was  to  revive  interest  in  their  public  careers, 
but  the  results  were  not  satisfactory. 

During  my  long  residence  in  London  there  is  little 
wonder  that  I  have  received  hundreds  of  letters 
of  introduction  from  people  in  all  parts  of  the  United 
States.  Many  of  these  have,  of  course,  asked  for 
nothing  more  than  the  usual  courtesies  between 
residents  and  strangers  who  had  the  same  birthplace  ; 
and  I  could  not  estimate  now  the  number  of  parties  to 
whom  I  have  acted  as  cicerone  to  the  sights  of  London ; 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

or  to  the  number  of  my  visits  to  the  Tower,  the 
British  Museum,  St  Paul's  Cathedral,  Westminster 
Abbey,  and  Madame  Tussaud's — always  a  favourite 
visiting-place  for  Americans. 

Occasionally,  however,  I  have  been  sorely  tried 
to  get  into  a  few  hours  all  that  an  American  friend 
demands.  Upon  one  occasion  a  gentleman  called 
upon  me,  in  a  cab,  and  addressed  me  in  the  following 
terms  : — "  I  have  only  got  three  hours  before  I  must 
leave  by  train  for  Liverpool.  I  have  never  been  in 
London  before,  and  want  you  to  jump  into  my  cab  and 
take  me  to  see  all  that  is  possible  in  that  time  " — add- 
ing when  he  saw  my  look  of  surprise  :  "  A  friend  of 
mine  rendered  me  a  similar  service  the  previous  day 
in  visiting  the  attractions  of  Paris."  I  took  on, 
and  actually  raced  him  at  full  speed  through  the  Royal 
Academy,  which  was  open  at  the  time,  the  British 
Museum,  the  Tower  of  London,  and  the  National 
Gallery,  besides  pointing  out  places  of  interest  in 
the  thoroughfares  along  which  we  drove.  He  ex- 
pressed himself  as  thoroughly  satisfied,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  run  effusively  thanked  me,  adding  that  he 
knew  London  as  well  as  I  did.  His  method  of 
inspecting  a  picture  gallery  was  to  stop  at  the  entrance 
of  a  room  and  take  a  sweeping  glance  all  round,  over 
the  four  walls,  then  gallop  off  to  the  next  room. 
On  some  occasions,  I  am  bound  to  say,  I  have  pre- 
ferred a  visitor  of  this  sort  to  those  who,  in  their  desire 
for  detail,  have  exhausted  my  patience  even  in  looking 
upon  such  a  relic  as  the  block,  on  which  the  head 
of  Lady  Jane  Grey  was  cut  off. 

136 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

I  remember  one  visitor  who,  after  a  tour  of  inspec- 
tion round  the  Tower,  grasped  my  hand,  and  said  : 
"  I  suppose,  John,  that  this  is  a  genuine  show — no 
'  Barnum's  Museum  '  about  this  ?  "  I  was  happy  to 
assure  him  that  he  had  at  last  seen  a  perfectly 
genuine  and  historical  show. 


CHAPTER  X 

Cost  of  Living  in  the  States  and  in  England — American  and  English 
Hotels — The  Question  of  Servants,  and  of  Clerks — A  dainty 
English  Clerk  v.  A  smart  American — Housekeeping  Expenses 
and  Servants — Cab  and  Bus  Fares — Education  in  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain — Food — The  American  Society — 
American  Charities  in  London — Applicants  for  Relief — A  Be- 
nevolent Fund — Stranded  in  London — National  Monument  to 
the  Queen — New  Year  Calls — Tipping. 

WHEN  I  had  settled  to  come  to  England  in  1867  I 
made  inquiry  as  to  the  comparative  cost  of  living  in 
Boston  and  New  York,  with  the  cost  in  London. 
This  was  somewhat  difficult  of  accomplishment,  as 
at  that  period  comparatively  few  Americans,  other 
than  those  who  travelled  for  business  or  health,  came 
to  England,  and  even  those  who  did  come  were 
limited  in  numbers,  and  had  no  housekeeping  ex- 
perience. 

In  this  year,  1905,  the  computation,  however,  has 
been  made  that  200,000  American  tourists  will  visit 
England  and  the  Continent.  The  charges  at  the 
Langham  (1867)  averaged  for  a  single  man,  having  a 
small  bedroom,  and  taking  his  three  meals  in  the  coffee- 
room,  £i  a  day.  One  was  charged  separate  prices 
for  room,  light,  fire,  and  attendance  ;  and  one  penny 
per  sheet  of  notepaper  or  envelope,  notwithstanding 
that  both  would  bear  the  advertisement  of  the  hotel. 
In  Boston  or  New  York  a  hotel  of  similar  standing  at 

138 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

that  date,  such  as  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  in  New 
York,  and  the  Revere  House  in  Boston,  would  charge 
5  dollars  (£i)  a  day  for  everything,  no  extras  what- 
ever, and  meals  served  from  6  A.M.  to  12  P.M.  In 
other  words,  a  visitor  could  eat  four  times  a  day  if  he 
chose,  and  the  price  charged  would  remain  practically 
the  same.  There  would  be  no  allowance  for  meals 
taken  elsewhere,  and  there  were  no  extras  of  any 
kind — writing-paper  and  envelopes  were  freely  distri- 
buted in  all  reception-rooms.  This  latter  fact,  being 
known  to  outside  people,  was  frequently  taken  ad- 
vantage of,  and  they  would  not  hesitate  to  enter  a 
hotel  and  conduct  their  correspondence  without  pay- 
ing anything  for  the  privilege. 

The  greater  privacy  of  the  hotels  in  England 
greatly  impressed  me,  as  no  "  loungers,"  or  " sitters" 
as  they  are  called  in  America,  are  allowed  to  frequent 
them.  Many  persons  use  American  hotels  to  meet 
friends,  read  the  newspapers,  and  generally  to  pass 
time  which  would  otherwise  hang  heavily  upon  their 
hands,  as  in  a  club,  for  which  they  would  be  called 
upon  to  pay  a  subscription.  Such  a  thing  as  being 
met  at  the  door  by  a  porter  in  livery  and  asked 
his  business,  whom  he  wished  to  see,  is  unknown  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The  doors  stand 
wide  open,  and  the  bars,  corridors,  and  halls  are 
thronged  with  visitors,  and  outsiders  alike.  No  ques- 
tioning of  any  sort  as  to  the  right  to  be  there  takes 
place.  Under  these  circumstances  there  are  persons 
who  will  venture  to  walk  into  the  dining-rooms  and 
take  their  chance  of  obtaining  a  lunch,  or  a  dinner 

139 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

free.  This  is  checked  as  much  as  possible  by  the 
training  of  a  man  unknown  to  English  hotels.  At 
the  entrance  to  every  hotel  dining  or  coffee  room 
stands  a  man  of  well-trained  memory,  who  takes  your 
hat,  if  you  have  one,  and  umbrella  or  walking-stick, 
but  gives  you  no  check  or  number,  and,  even  if  several 
hundred  are  present,  will  hand  you  on  your  coming 
out  your  proper  hat,  umbrella,  or  walking-stick  with- 
out any  mistake  whatever.  Such  a  man,  having  a 
particular  guest  pointed  out  to  him,  can  at  once  tell 
whether  he  is  a  paying  guest  or  not,  and  a  mistake 
is  rarely  made.  A  tip  of  10  cents  will  reward  this 
attendant  for  the  care  of  your  belongings. 

A  bathroom  with  hot  and  cold  supply  attached  to  a 
suite  of  rooms  was  unknown  in  an  English  hotel  in 
1867  ;  only  the  public  bathroom  existed,  for  the  use  of 
which  a  fee  was  charged.  At  the  present  time  every 
luxury  known  is  provided  in  British  and  Continental 
hotels.  I  noticed  at  first  that  the  majority  of  people 
had  baths  brought  into  their  rooms,  with  large  cans  of 
hot  or  cold  water — most  visitors  preferring  a  sponge 
bath  in  this  way.  Bathrooms  attached  to  bedrooms 
in  hotels  were  not  common  in  the  United  States 
forty  years  ago. 

Another  difference  noticeable  between  the  personal 
habits  of  English  and  American  men  consists  in  the 
practice  of  shaving — the  former  carry  their  own  shav- 
ing apparatus  with  them,  and  shave  themselves  each 
morning ;  but  the  latter  have  that  done  for  them  in 
the  barber's  shop,  which  is  an  important  department  in 
every  American  hotel.  There  is  much  resort  made 
to  the  barber's  shop  in  America,  and  generally  his 

140 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

place  is  one  of  the  largest  rooms  in  the  administra- 
tion department.  In  the  largest  hotels  there  are 
twenty  or  more  chairs  always  in  use,  with  as  many 
barbers  in  attendance,  and  at  a  busy  time  a  visitor 
has  to  take  his  turn.  For  a  shave  the  fee  charged  is 
25  cents  (is.),  and  if  haircutting  were  added  to  the 
shave  there  would  be  charged  a  further  fee  of  25 
cents. 

Attached  to  the  barber's  department  is  the  boot- 
cleaning  establishment,  for  the  luxury  of  which  a  fee, 
varying  from  10  cents  to  15  cents  (5d.  to  7^d.), 
is  charged.  The  place  is  fitted  up  with  comfortable 
arm-chairs,  and  one  may  read  his  paper  or  smoke  a 
cigar  while  the  shining-up  operation  is  carried  out. 
Boots  are  not  usually  left  outside  the  bedroom  door 
on  retiring.  In  the  boot-cleaning  department  the  work 
is  thoroughly  done  for  the  extra  fees. 

Mr  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  relates,  in  one  of  his 
essays,  that  an  Englishman  told  him  that  when  he 
inquired  in  a  New  York  hotel  for  the  "  Boots"  he 
was  shown  across  the  street,  and  had  found  Mungo 
in  his  own  house  dining  on  roast  turkey — adding,  the 
Londoner  had  said,  the  best  thing  he  knew  of  the 
country  was  that  a  man  can  have  meat  for  his  labour. 

In  England  the  fees  for  Shaving,  Hair  Cutting, 
and  Shampoo  are  each  sixpence  in  well-appointed 
hair -dressing  shops ;  in  very  smart  establishments, 
double  these  fees.  For  Boot  Cleaning  and  "  Shining  " 
one  penny  and  twopence  per  pair  is  charged. 

The  fact  is  noticeable  that  not  every  man  avails  him- 
self of  the  services  of  the  barber  and  the  shoeblack 
each  morning.  This  probably  accounts  for  the  con- 

141 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

trast  between  an  American  and  an  Englishman  at  the 
beginning  of  the  day,  and  the  smarter  turn-out  of 
the  latter.  I  could  not  help  being  attracted  by  the 
clean-shaven  faces  of  the  English,  and  their  smartly- 
polished  boots  and  tidy  appearance — and  this  was 
the  rule  even  with  clerks  in  England.  The  average 
American  forty  years  ago  would  only  shave  three 
times  a  week,  and  his  boot-cleaning  often  would  be 
left  until  towards  evening,  when  on  his  way  home. 
There  is,  however,  a  great  improvement  noticeable 
now,  and  the  better  class  of  American  shows  as  much 
attention  to  his  clothing  and  personal  appearance  as 
the  most  fastidious  Britisher. 

In  the  matter  of  housekeeping  expenses  I  am 
bound  to  say  that  there  are  ways  of  living  very 
cheaply  in  London  ;  but  if  you  were  to  consider  the 
cost  as  a  whole,  with  a  house  and  one  or  two  servants, 
the  expense  would  equal  that  of  any  important  city 
in  the  United  States. 

Servants'  wages  are  less  in  England  than  in 
America ;  but  an  English  servant  would  not  perform 
as  many  duties  as  are  required  in  an  American  family. 
Across  the  Atlantic  a  cook  in  a  small  family,  is  ex- 
pected to  do  the  entire  laundry  work  ;  but  in  England 
she  would  not  be  asked  to  do  anything  of  the  kind, 
and  allowance  has  to  be  made  her  for  her  own  wash- 
ing, and  beer  money  as  well. 

In  London  the  charges  for  conveyances  —  cab, 
omnibus,  and  rail  (third  class) — are  very  much  cheaper 
than  in  New  York.  Car  and  omnibus  fares  in  New 
York  are  10  cents  (5d.)  for  any  distance,  and  railway 
travelling  averages  5  cents  (2^d.)  a  mile.  Cab  fares 

142 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

or  hack  hire  averages  $1.50  (6s.),  and  from  that 
up  to  10  dollars  for  a  journey  of  four  or  five  miles. 
As  a  result  of  this  exorbitant  cab  and  hack  hire,  the 
majority  of  people  when  travelling  have  their  luggage 
sent  on  by  express  carriers,  at  a  fixed  price  of  35  cents 
per  package,  and  use  the  cars  and  omnibuses  to  and 
from  railway  stations,  or  steamboat  landing. 

With  regard  to  food — meat,  vegetables,  and  fruit 
are  all  cheaper  in  the  United  States,  as  also  are  milk, 
butter,  and  cheese.  The  work  of  the  laundry  is 
cheaper  than  in  England  for  all  household  and 
personal  linen,  the  labour  being  performed  by  labour- 
saving  machinery.  Another  method  in  America  is  to 
contract  for  the  laundry  work  being  done  by  a  laundry 
company.  In  quite  a  large  family  I  knew  the 
contract  was  at  $250  (£$o)  a  year. 

In  New  York  the  average  office-boy  clerk  would 
have  a  beginning  salary  of  $1.50  (6s.)  a  week,  which 
would  be  increased  to  $2.50  or  $3  (8s.  or  125.)  a  week 
before  the  end  of  one  year's  service  if  he  is  bright 
and  smart.  Salesmen,  book-keepers,  and  department 
managers  are  all  well  paid,  and  have,  on  the  average, 
larger  salaries  than  men  doing  similar  work  in 
England.  I  was,  entering  upon  business  in  London, 
struck  with  the  appearance  of  some  employees.  The 
junior  clerks  or  book-keepers  came  to  their  office  work 
in  top-hats,  and  often  carrying  a  walking-stick.  When 
asked  to  go  on  some  errand,  one  of  them,  I  remember, 
would  immediately  proceed  to  wash  his  hands,  brush 
his  hair,  put  on  his  gloves,  and  take  stick  in  hand 
before  starting,  wasting  several  minutes  in  preparation. 

Should  a  direction   be  given   to  a  junior  clerk  in 

'43 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

a  New  York  office  in  my  day  he  would  be  off  in 
double  quick  time,  without  any  thought  about  gloves 
or  walking-stick.  The  ordinary  clerk  there  goes  to 
business  ready  to  begin  work  without  any  of  the 
accessories  necessary  to  his  English  prototype.  A 
young  fellow  would  be  greatly  prejudiced  in  his  work 
at  New  York  if  he  ever  appeared  at  business  wearing 
a  top-hat,  and  carrying  a  cane.  He  is  required  to 
keep  up  his  pace  in  every  department  to  which  he 
may  succeed. 

There  is  much  more  time  allowed  in  England  over 
a  clerk's  meals.  In  America  a  clerk  is  allowed  half- 
an-hour  for  his  midday  lunch  ;  in  England  he  has 
a  full  hour.  There  is  no  time  allowance  for  afternoon 
tea  in  New  York  or  other  cities,  but  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  are  consumed  over  tea  in  many  London 
offices.  In  New  York  work  begins  at  7.30  A.M.  ; 
in  London  8.30  A.M.  or  9  A.M.  Closing  time  is  5.30 
P.M.  in  New  York,  and  6  P.M.  in  London ;  while 
closing  time  on  Saturday  is  5  P.M.  in  New  York, 
and  2  P.M.  in  London.  A  clerk  in  England  will 
spend  from  is.  to  is.  6d.  upon  his  lunch ;  in  the 
United  States  he  is  able  to  get  a  satisfactory  lunch  for 
from  6d.  to  lod.  This  meal  must  be  got  through 
with  great  speed  by  the  American,  which  is  the  origin 
of  the  term  "a  quick  lunch."  Nothing  in  the  form 
of  intoxicants  is  ever  taken  during  business  hours 
by  the  American  youth,  and,  indeed,  he  has  no  wish  for 
any:  his  drink  is  a  choice  of  tea,  coffee,  or  iced  water. 
This  may  account  for  the  greater  activity  of  the 
American  lad.  The  boy  who  smokes  is  altogether 

144 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

a  modern  innovation  in  the  United  States,  and  the 
smoking  of  cigarettes  and  pipes  was  much  rarer  forty 
years  ago,  than  now.  I  have  noticed  on  my  recent 
visits  that  nearly  all  young  fellows,  from  fourteen  years 
upwards,  now  smoke  a  pipe  or  cigarettes,  but  never 
in  business  hours  either  there,  or  in  England.  Forty 
years  ago  the  non-smoking  habit  may  be  illustrated  by 
my  own  case,  as  I  never  formed  the  habit  of  smoking 
until  I  was  upwards  of  thirty  years  of  age. 

No  American  family  until  quite  recently  placed 
beer,  wine,  or  spirits  on  their  dinner  or  lunch  table  ; 
and  rarely  does  any  youth  indulge  habitually  in 
any  of  these  beverages.  At  the  same  time,  there 
is  no  doubt  whatever  that  intemperance  is  one  of 
the  greatest  evils  from  which  America  suffers.  The 
method  of  drinking  is  more  insidious  from  the  habit  of 
bar-drinking.  Four,  five,  or  six  young  fellows  go 
up  to  a  bar,  and  one  stands  treats  to  the  others  until 
the  treating  has  gone  all  round.  In  this  respect 
I  consider  that  the  English  youth  shows  greater 
firmness  in  resisting  invitations  than  his  American 
cousin.  I  know  that  frequently  the  head  of  a  family, 
though  having  neither  wines  nor  spirits  on  his  table, 
will  stop  at  some  bar  to  have  a  drink  before  reaching 
home  for  lunch  or  dinner.  Furthermore,  the  American 
habit  was  to  drink  spirits  neat,  and  take  a  gulp  of 
water  afterwards. 

Over  the  sea  if  a  man  calls  for  brandy  or  whisky 
he  will  never  have  the  spirit  measured  out  to  him, 
'as  is  the  case  in  this  country,  but  the  bottle  of  spirit  is 
placed  before  him,  and  he  helps  himself,  which  is 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

a  dangerous  custom,  as  he  is  tempted  to  take  a  far  too 
large  dose. 

At  a  bar  like  that  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  in  New 
York,  at  which  fifty  men  could  stand  up  at  one  time, 
the  price  of  an  ordinary  drink  like  whisky  and  soda 
would  be  25  cents  (is.),  while  a  mixed  drink  like 
a  cocktail,  or  julep,  would  be  anywhere  from  25  cents 
to  40  cents  (is.  8d.).  All  drinks  are  iced  to  freezing 
point  summer  or  winter.  I  never  had  seen  soda 
water,  or  effervescing  water  of  any  kind,  drunk  with 
spirits  until  I  came  to  England. 

The  cost  of  an  education  in  the  United  States  in 
the  sixties  and  seventies  was  far  less  expensive  than  in 
England.  The  public  school  system  is  based  upon 
the  principle  of  the  best  possible  educational  ad- 
vantages at  most  nominal  charges.  Excellent  private 
day-schools  and  boarding-schools  charge  half  as  much 
as  the  same  class  of  schools  in  England.  A  middle 
class  day-school,  inclusive  of  boys'  fees,  for  a  year 
of  four  terms  of  ten  weeks  each,  with  no  extras,  would 
cost  25  dollars,  while  an  English  school  possessing 
similar  advantages  would  cost  ;£io.  At  an  American 
boarding-school  for  middle-class  boys  ^"40  a  year 
would  be  charged,  and  this  would  include  everything 
to  be  desired  in  the  way  of  food  and  tuition,  with 
laundry,  and  all  school-books. 

There  are  now,  and  were  then,  of  course,  exceptional 
schools  in  the  United  States  where  the  fees  are  very 
large  indeed  ;  but  this  is  caused  by  some  unusual 
circumstance,  and  is  intended  to  make  the  pupils  more 
select.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  highest 

146 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

fees  at  any  boarding-school  within  my  knowledge  was 
400  dollars  a  year  (;£8o),  but  in  England  similar 
advantages  would  cost  ^150. 

There  are  endowed  schools  in  the  United  States 
which  compare  with  Eton,  Harrow,  Rugby,  and 
Winchester ;  but  the  fees  are  less.  At  colleges  the 
fees  are  one-half  as  compared  with  English  uni- 
versities. 

While  in  England,  the  educational  expenses  have 
not  advanced  during  my  residences  here,  but  I  am 
able  to  say,  on  the  authority  of  a  correspondent  who 
has  investigated  the  subject,  that  in  the  United  States 
a  girl  costs  nearly  three  times  as  much  to  send  to 
an  important  school  as  even  twenty  years  ago. 
Vassar  College  declared  this  year  (1905)  an  increase  of 
100  dollars  in  the  yearly  rate,  and  others  have  followed 
this  course  in  the  charges  for  tuition,  board,  and 
rooms.  Besides  the  actual  fees,  a  new  order  of  things 
in  the  way  of  equipment  is  developing.  The  million- 
aire's daughter  sets  up  an  establishment,  bringing  her 
own  riding  and  driving  horses,  and  fine  dogs,  for  which 
board  is  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  college.  The 
shopping  excursions  are  quite  as  likely  to  include  a 
motor,  as  an  ink-bottle.  Her  spare  hours  are  spent 
riding,  driving,  golfing,  playing  tennis,  and  running 
an  automobile,  for  which  elaborate  and  costly  outfits 
are  provided  for  each  amusement.  Her  rooms  are 
elegantly  furnished  ;  no  longer  the  bare  little  chamber 
with  a  worn  carpet,  a  deal  chair,  and  an  iron  bedstead, 
but  a  suite  crammed  with  pictures,  statuary,  rich  rugs, 
couches,  and  artistic  drapery.  At  certain  of  these 

147 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

establishments  for  young  ladies  ^500  may  be  put 
down  as  the  minimum  annual  expense.  Precisely  the 
same  conditions  exist  in  reference  to  the  select  schools 
for  boys  and  young  men. 

Students,  both  men  and  women,  of  limited  means 
from  New  England  colleges  and  high  schools  fre- 
quently employ  their  summer  holidays  by  acting  as 
table  waiters  during  the  "  season "  at  the  hotels  at 
White  Mountains  and  other  resorts,  doing  the  pre- 
scribed work  with  ability  and  cheerfulness.  They 
get  their  board  and  certain  fees,  which  go  to  supple- 
ment their  income  for  educational  expenses.  Employ- 
ment bureaus  are  connected  with  nearly  all  the 
universities,  where  young  men  may  register  their 
names  for  any  kind  of  work  they  may  be  willing  to 
undertake  in  spare  hours — even  to  look  after  heating 
apparatus  in  private  houses  ;  or  shovelling  snow  to 
clear  paths  in  winter,  thus  getting  exercise  as  well 
as  dollars. 

With  regard  to  the  charities  organised  and  carried 
on  in  London  for  the  relief  of  distressed  Americans 
I  can  speak  with  absolute  knowledge.  I  remember  at 
a  banquet  of  Americans  held  last  year  (1904)  Mr 
Choate,  the  American  Ambassador,  asked  the  question  : 
"  Have  any  of  you  present  ever  seen  a  stranded 
American?"  The  query  was  received  with  roars 
of  laughter.  This  laughter  was  provoked  by  the 
image  at  once  raised  of  the  average  American  who 
applied  to  the  American  resident  for  a  donation, 
always  with  the  same  ostensible  object  of  paying 
his  fare  back  to  the  States.  During  my  long  re- 

148 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

sidence  in  London  I  have  had  visits  from  certainly 
1000  men  and  women  who  claimed  to  be  dis- 
tressed "stranded  Americans."  Many  of  them  were 
utterly  unworthy  of  assistance,  their  distress  arising 
entirely  from  idleness,  or  in  consequence  of  leaving 
America  to  come  here  without  any  credentials  or 
means  of  maintaining  themselves,  relying,  as  one 
poor  fellow  once  said  to  me  :  "  I  supposed  any  good, 
smart  American  would  find  plenty  of  work  to  do  in 
London."  A  great  factor  of  introducing  to  this  country 
poor  and  unfriended  Americans  has  been  the  cattle 
trade.  Cattle-boats  coming  from  the  United  States  to 
London  will  allow  any  able-bodied  man,  any  applicant 
almost,  however  indigent  he  may  be,  to  go  on  board 
and  look  after  a  certain  number  of  cattle  for  a  free 
passage  and  food.  On  reaching  London  docks  the 
man  is  sent  adrift  without  wages,  and  as  empty-handed 
as  when  he  left  the  shores  of  America.  Were  these 
men  willing  to  work  no  amount  of  human  application 
and  diligence  would  secure  work  for  them.  These 
men  know  nothing  of  the  character  of  the  work 
expected  from  them.  They  cannot  compete  with  the 
dock  labourer  either  in  strength  or  method,  and 
they  inevitably  come  to  grief.  The  America  Colony 
in  London  has  assisted  many  of  these  cattle  boatmen 
to  return  to  the  United  States — and  with  this  result, 
to  see  the  same  men  turn  up  again  later,  under  exactly 
the  same  circumstances,  not  having  profited  by  their 
previous  experience.  I  have  been  applied  to  half- 
a-dozen  times  by  the  same  identical  persons,  who 
have  been  lucky  to  get  steerage  passage  home,  paid. 

149 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

During  the  last  five  years  a  society  has  been 
formed  to  raise  a  benevolent  fund  for  the  assistance 
of  those  who  deserve  help.  Mr  F.  C.  Van  Duzer, 
London,  is  the  hon.  secretary — the  bankers  to  the 
fund,  Messrs  Seligmann  Bros.  Any  native  of  America 
in  distress  may  apply  for  assistance,  and  his  case 
will  be  most  promptly  and  carefully  inquired  into. 
Resident  Americans  who  are  subscribing  to  the  fund 
may  refer  to  the  secretary  any  applicant  for  aid. 
"  Frauds "  will  not  be  assisted.  During  the  twelve 
months,  August  1903-1904,  many  pathetic  cases  were 
relieved  by  the  almoners  of  the  fund. 

There  is  also  another  class  of  Americans  who 
become  stranded  in  London,  who,  perhaps,  have  been 
well  connected  in  the  United  States,  and  who,  on 
arriving  here,  have  had  a  certain  amount  of  funds 
with  them.  These  people,  by  extravagance  or  indul- 
gence, have  wasted  their  substance.  They  usually, 
in  the  first  place,  apply  to  the  Embassy  or  the 
Consul,  to  American  bankers  or  merchants  in  busi- 
ness, and  if  any  of  these  classes  will  start  a  sub- 
scription for  them  then  they  will  search  the  directory 
for  every  American  name  they  can  find,  to  whom 
application  is  made. 

Dining  on  one  occasion  with  the  Deputy  Consul- 
General,  who  had  filled  that  important  office  for 
over  forty  years,  in  reply  to  my  question  as  to 
how  many  of  those  who  had  sacredly  promised 
on  reaching  home  to  refund  the  advance  made  to 
them  had  fulfilled  their  promise,  he  said :  "  Not 
one  had ;  but  on  one  occasion  a  sum  of  los.  6d. 

150 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

was  returned  by  a   poor  woman  whom    I    had    once 
assisted." 

In  my  own  experience  I  may  safely  say  that  I 
have  sheaves  of  little  scraps  of  paper  with  addresses 
and  promises  to  pay  amounts  varying  from  £i  to  ^5, 
which  would  suffice,  if  they  could  be  cashed,  to  found 
several  Sunday  school  libraries. 

Before  the  establishment  of  the  Benevolent  Fund 
I  adopted  the  plan  of  assisting  only  such  applicants 
as  would  permit  a  cable  being  sent  to  their  relatives 
or  friends  in  the  States,  asking  funds  to  be  cabled 
to  my  care.  In  few  instances  would  the  applicant 
allow  this,  urging  they  did  not  want  to  distress  their 
friends,  or  did  not  wish  them  to  know  of  their  help- 
less condition.  "  But,"  I  would  reply,  "you  are 
perfectly  willing  that  I,  a  total  stranger,  should  know 
this,  and  ask  me  to  contribute  to  your  necessity,  and 
this  is  the  only  method  by  which  I  will  assist  you." 
I  did  not  make  many  loans  upon  these  stringent 
conditions,  probably  for  the  reason,  in  most  cases, 
that  the  funds  of  friends  in  the  United  States  had 
been  well  worked  upon  before  they  came  to  me 
at  all. 

I  remember  one  instance  of  a  widow  and  her  two 
daughters  who  came  with  a  very  pitiful  tale.  I  asked 
them  if  no  one  in  the  United  States  would  come  to 
their  assistance  if  they  knew  of  their  condition.  They 
said  they  had  an  uncle  in  New  Jersey  who  they 
believed  would  respond.  They  were  very  reluctant 
that  a  cable  should  be  sent  to  him,  but  assented. 
So  I  wired  these  words:  "  Cable  sixty  pounds  for 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

desperate  necessity,  and  passage  home."  This  was 
signed  by  one  of  the  daughters.  I  forwarded  the 
message,  and  told  them  to  call  next  morning  for  the 
reply.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  reply  came  the  same 
night ;  and  I  took  this  to  their  lodgings,  where 
they  were  apprehensive  of  being  turned  out  on 
account  of  the  arrears  which  they  owed.  The  answer 
I  handed  to  them  was  in  the  following  terms  : — "  Have 

cabled  sixty  pounds.  Apply Bank."  I  scarcely 

ever  remember  witnessing  such  expressions  of  joy 
and  relief  in  my  life.  They  sent  a  message  down 
to  the  landlady  to  have  her  bill  ready  by  eleven 
o'clock  next  morning  ;  and  the  ladies  returned  home 
by  the  first  ship.  This  was  the  only  instance  of  a 
satisfactory  response  coming  to  any  message  to 
relatives  sent  by  me. 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  American  Society 
Benevolent  Fund  for  1905  has  just  been  issued  by 
Mr  F.  C.  Van  Duzer,  the  Hon.  Secretary,  and  this 
shows  that  no  fewer  than  700  distressed  Americans 
applied  for  relief.  From  this  number  1 1 8  were  found 
unworthy  of  assistance,  and  put  upon  the  Black 
List;  126  made  a  second  call  on  being  told 
that  proofs,  which  they  alleged  they  had,  must  be 
produced  to  confirm  their  statements ;  462  were 
assisted  in  various  ways  ;  and  a  total  of  ,£80  was 
refunded  to  the  Society,  contributed  by  27  different 
individuals,  which  is  very  pleasant  to  record. 

In  1895  the  American  Society  in  London  was 
established.  The  declared  object  of  the  Society  was 
the  promotion  of  patriotic  and  social  life  among 

'52 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Americans  residing  in  London.  Dinners  were  to 
be  given  on  Washington's  Birthday,  4th  July,  Thanks- 
giving Day,  and  any  citizen  of  the  United  States  was 
eligible  for  election  by  the  general  committee.  At 
the  preliminary  meeting,  held  at  the  United  States 
Consulate  in  March  1895,  the  Society  was  formally 
constituted,  and  the  following  gentlemen  elected  to 
form  a  permanent  committee  : — 

Ex-officio — the  American  Ambassador,  the  Ameri- 
can Consul  -  General,  the  United  States  Military 
Attache,  the  United  States  Naval  Attache,  Benjamin 
F.  Stevens,  Chairman ;  Henry  S.  Wellcome,  Vice- 
Chairman  ;  H.  B.  Chamberlain,  Hon.  Secretary  and 
Treasurer.  Members  of  Committee — Poultney  Bige- 
low,  Frank  S.  Blake,  Frank  E.  Bliss,  George  H. 
Boughton,  Walter  H.  Burns,  R.  Newton  Crane, 
Roland  R.  Dennis,  John  A.  Ferguson,  Thomas  L. 
Field,  John  G.  Meiggs,  George  A.  Mower,  Howard 
Potter,  James  R.  Roosevelt,  Ballard  Smith,  Colonel 
James  L.  Taylor,  Frederick  C.  Van  Duzer,  Henry 
White,  and  John  Morgan  Richards. 

The  lines  of  the  Society  were  modelled  upon  those 
of  the  New  England  Society,  and  the  Southern 
Society  of  New  York. 

The  inauguration  banquet  took  place  at  the  Cafe 
Royal,  Regent  Street,  igth  April  1895,  with  the 
American  Ambassador,  the  Hon.  Thomas  F.  Bayard, 
in  the  chair.  This  Society  has  greatly  prospered,  and 
has  now  a  large  membership.  The  banquets  which 
are  given  are  regarded  as  important  events ;  and  a  new 
chairman  is  elected  each  year  from  the  governing 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

committee.  I  had  the  honour  of  being  elected  chair- 
man in  1901-2.  The  Society  has  been  the  means 
of  promoting  good  will  and  friendship  not  only 
amongst  Americans,  but  between  them  and  English 
representative  men  who  have  been  invited  to  the 
banquets,  and  there  are  many  Englishmen  affiliated 
members.  The  American  Ambassador  for  the  time 
being  is  always  the  chief  guest. 

The  following  copy  of  a  toast  list  at  the  4th  July 
banquet,  1897 — the  Diamond  Jubilee  Year  of  H.M. 
the  Queen — will  give  an  excellent  example  of  the 
proceedings  : — 

THE  QUEEN 
Proposed  by  the  CHAIRMAN. 

THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
Proposed  by  the  Chairman,  R.  NEWTON  CRANE,  Esq. 

OUR  AMBASSADORS 

Proposed  by  the  Right  Rev.  the  BISHOP  OF  NEW  YORK 

Response  by  His  Excellency  the  American  Ambassador, 

the  Hon.  JOHN  HAY, 

and 

His  Excellency  the  Hon.  WHITELAW  REID 
(Special  American  Ambassador  to  the  Queen's  Jubilee). 

THE  DAY  WE  CELEBRATE 

Proposed  by  the  Hon.  ALEX.  W.  TERRELL, 

(ex  United  States  Minister  to  Turkey). 

Response  by  the  Rev.  DR  MILBURN, 

(Chaplain  of  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives). 

THE  COMMUNITY  OF  ENGLISH-SPEAKING  PEOPLES 

Proposed  by  the  Hon.  A.  E.  STEVENSON 

(ex  Vice- President  of  the  United  States). 

Response  by  the  Right  Rev.  the  BISHOP  OF  ALBANY. 

154 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

THE  CHAIRMAN 

Proposed  by  J.  L.  TAYLOR,  Esq. 

(Vice- Chairman  of  the  American  Society  in  London). 

Response  by  the  CHAIRMAN. 

At  these  banquets  held  during  the  last  ten  years 
the  most  distinguished  men  in  every  department  of 
English  and  American  Society  have  been  present. 

Numerous  efforts  have  been  made  to  establish  in 
London  an  American  club,  with  club  premises  and 
an  organisation  on  the  lines  of  the  best  English  clubs 
— thus  far,  such  efforts  have  not  been  successful. 

In  1901,  when  a  public  subscription  was  opened 
in  London  towards  a  national  monument  to  the  late 
Queen  Victoria,  the  committee  of  the  American 
Society  addressed  a  letter  to  Lord  Esher,  the  hon. 
treasurer  of  the  fund,  suggesting  that  Americans 
might  be  allowed  to  subscribe.  The  following  reply 
was  received  by  the  hon.  secretary,  Mr  F.  C.  Van 
Duzer : — 

"  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  laid  before  the  King  the  sug- 
gestion, which  you  were  good  enough  to  make,  that 
the  American  Society  should  be  allowed  to  add  a 
contribution  to  the  fund  for  the  Memorial  to  Queen 
Victoria,  and  it  is  needless  for  me  to  say  that  His 
Majesty  was  touched  by  the  spirit  in  which  the  offer 
was  made  on  behalf  of  many  who,  though  not  subjects 
of  the  Crown,  are  united  to  us  by  blood  and  by  ties 
of  friendship. 

"In  accepting,  with  gratitude,  the  proposal  of  the 
American  Society,  may  I  be  allowed  to  add  that  the 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

Memorial  will,  in  all  probability,  assume  a  form  which 
would  permit  of  a  clear  designation  for  all  time  of 
the  offering  made  in  memory  of  the  Queen  by  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States? — Yours  faithfully, 

"ESHER." 

The  subject  was  promptly  taken  up  by  an  appeal 
issued  in  the  following  terms  : — 

"  There  is  practically  a  unanimous  feeling  that 
Americans  resident  in  London,  citizens  of  the  great 
Republic  of  the  West,  and  descendants  of  Great 
Britain's  first  colonists,  would  be  gratified  to  have 
the  privilege  of  joining  in  this  memorial,  in  order 
to  demonstrate  in  some  fitting  manner  the  affection 
and  reverence  they  have  always  felt  for  that  unique 
and  illustrious  personality  which,  to  the  loss  of  the 
whole  world,  has  recently  passed  away.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  all  Americans  who  have  lived  in  Great 
Britain  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Victoria  will  desire 
to  associate  themselves  with  this  tribute  to  her 
memory,  for  by  her  wise  administration  of  domestic 
and  foreign  affairs,  they  have  not  only  been  protected 
in  their  persons  and  accorded  equal  liberties  and 
privileges  with  her  subjects,  but  have  been  given 
the  largest  encouragement  for  the  practice  of  their 
professions  and  the  development  of  their  business 
interests.  A  committee  will  at  once  be  formed  in 
America  to  receive  subscriptions  from  our  fellow- 
countrymen  there,  it  having  been  made  manifest, 
from  the  widespread  sympathy  expressed  throughout 

156 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  United  States  with  Great  Britain  in  the  national 
loss  she  has  sustained,  as  well  as  from  the  universal 
testimony  to  the  goodness  and  graciousness  of  the 
late  Queen,  that  a  number  would  gladly  embrace  an 
opportunity  of  subscribing  to  a  fund  such  as  is  out- 
lined above." 

I  think  ^"2000  and  over  was  subscribed.  The 
National  Monument  is  embraced  in  the  great  work 
now  (1905)  proceeding  in  St  James's  Park. 

Forty  years  ago  the  ist  of  January,  New  Year's 
Day,  was  observed  throughout  the  United  States 
as  "the  Ladies'  at  Home  Day,"  and  every  lady 
expected  her  gentlemen  friends  to  pay  their  respects 
to  her  upon  that  day.  Calls  began  at  n  A.M.,  and 
went  on  until  10  P.M.  The  blinds  of  the  house 
would  be  drawn,  the  gas  lighted,  and  callers  always 
appeared  in  evening  dress.  Every  drawing  -  room 
would  have  a  table  set  out  with  wine,  cake,  and 
light  refreshments  ;  and,  while  the  calls  were  of  the 
most  formal  character,  we  were  expected  to  wish 
the  hostess  "A  Happy  New  Year."  Afterwards 
men  would  boast  of  having  made  300  or  400  calls 
in  the  day.  On  such  an  occasion  men  who  had 
not  been  very  prudent  at  the  beginning  would  find 
themselves  greatly  embarrassed  before  their  calls  were 
finished. 

This  custom  has  been  practically  abandoned  now. 
The  custom  now  prevailing  is  to  fasten  a  card-basket 
to  the  door  knob,  so  that  callers  simply  drop  their 
cards  into  the  basket,  and  pass  on.  Whether  this 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

reform  is  due  to  the  gentleman  or  the  lady  I  do  not 
know,  but  the  ist  of  January  no  longer  demands 
the  social  observances  of  former  years. 

In  1867  the  sending  of  New  Year  cards,  Christmas 
cards,  and  Easter  cards  was  unknown  in  the  States, 
but  since  that  year  the  custom  has  grown  up,  and 
is  now  popular  in  America. 

The  question  of  "  tipping "  both  in  England  and 
abroad,  which  has  grown  to  such  great  dimensions 
as  to  threaten  the  curtailments  of  many  social  pleas- 
ures, and  increase  the  cost  of  many  resources  of 
civilisation,  is  too  large  to  discuss  in  a  book  of 
reminiscences  merely.  I  can  only  put  on  record  the 
fact  which  is  within  my  own  experience,  that  the 
"tips"  given  very  readily  a  few  years  ago  for 
real  services  rendered  at  hotels,  restaurants,  railway 
stations,  and  on  board  steamers  have  now  become 
a  tax.  Domestics,  and  upper  servants,  porters, 
waiters,  and  stewards  make  impertinent  remarks,  if 
the  gratuity  tendered  does  not  come  up  to  the  in- 
flated notion  they  possess  of  what  a  "  tip "  should 
be.  Americans  themselves,  by  ostentatious  gifts  to 
the  servants  and  employes  of  their  friends,  are  much 
to  blame  for  the  state  of  affairs  in  question.  Those 
merely  passing  through  the  country  can  make  one 
tip  go  a  long  way.  They  might  reconsider  their 
liberality  if  they  were  residents  or  employers. 


158 


CHAPTER   XI 

The  Academy — Scheme  of  Academy  Crowns — London  Forty  Years  ago 
— Footsteps  of  the  Martyrs — Middle  Row  disappears — Opening 
of  the  Viaduct — Alterations  in  Buildings  and  Streets — Railways — 
Baron  Grant  and  Leicester  Square — Athletics — English  the  better 
Oarsmen— Field  Sports— Mr  Cooke  of  Leeds— The  Isle  of  Wight 
— Steephill  Castle. 

THE  association  which  I  had  with  the  late  Dr  Parker 
in  certain  newspaper  ventures,  excited  my  further  in- 
terest in  literary  journals,  which  I  was  in  the  habit 
of  reading  from  week  to  week  ;  and  particularly  in 
reviews  of  books.  Therefore  in  1894  I  became 
proprietor  of  The  Academy,  a  weekly  journal  devoted 
to  book  reviews,  and  the  consideration  of  interesting 
literary  questions,  under  the  editorship  of  Mr  C.  Lewis 
Hind.  There  are  points  about  the  history  of  this 
journal  which  are  of  great  interest.  Mr  John 
Murray  founded  the  paper  in  1869,  and  Dr  Apple- 
ton  became  the  first  editor.  Matthew  Arnold  and 
Arthur  Hugh  Clough  were  contributors  to  the  first 
number  which  appeared.  At  Dr  Appleton's  death, 
in  1879,  Mr  C.  E.  Doble  succeeded  to  the  editorial 
chair,  and  two  years  later  he  was  followed  in  that 
post  by  Mr  J.  S.  Sutherland  Cotton.  Under  his 
editorial  care  for  sixteen  years  The  Academy  flourished, 
and  became  an  organ  of  the  highest  modern  scholar- 
ship. Amongst  other  contributors  were  Professor 

'59 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Huxley,  William  Morris,  Professor  Tyndall,  Walter 
Pater,  Mark  Pattison,  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  Mr 
Andrew  Lang,  and  others. 

In  order  to  increase  the  interest  in  this  paper  I 
offered  in  1897,  1898,  and  1899  prizes  of  100 
guineas  and  50  guineas  for  the  two  best  books  of  the 
season,  the  scheme  being  termed  "Academy  Crown- 
ing," and  the  readers  of  the  journal  voting  the  awards. 
Thus  in  1897  Mr  Stephen  Phillips  was  awarded 
the  100  guineas  for  his  volume  of  poems,  includ- 
ing "  Marpessa"  ;  and  Mr  William  Ernest  Henley  re- 
ceived 50  guineas  for  his  "  Essay  on  the  Life, 
Genius,  and  Achievement  of  Burns."  In  1898  Mr 
Sidney  Lee  received  50  guineas  for  his  Life  of 
Shakespeare ;  Mr  Maurice  Hewlett  50  guineas 
for  "The  Forest  Levers";  and  Mr  Joseph  Conrad 
a  similar  sum  for  "Tales  of  Unrest."  For  1899 
there  were  so  many  competitors  selected  that  six 
sums  of  25  guineas  were  awarded,  and  these 
were  taken  by  Mr  W.  B.  Yeats  for  "The  Wind 
among  the  Reeds "  ;  to  Miss  Gwendoline  Keats  for 
"On  Trial";  Mr  Hilaire  Belloc  for  "  Danton  :  a 
Study";  Mr  G.  M.  Trevelyan  for  "England  in 
the  Age  of  Wycliffe "  ;  Mrs  Garnet  for  her  transla- 
tion of  the  novels  of  Turgenieff;  and  Mr  H.  G. 
Graham  for  "  The  Social  Life  of  Scotland  in  the 
Eighteenth  Century."  That  this  scheme  was  greatly 
appreciated,  was  evidenced  by  the  letters  received 
from  the  authors. 

In  1900,  however,  the  scheme  was  abandoned  for 
a  system  of  wider  interest,  in  which  amateur  authors 

1 60 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

were  encouraged  by  liberal  awards,  to  contribute 
essays,  on  general  and  miscellaneous  subjects  to  the 
journal. 

Under  Mr  Hind's  editorship  the  contributors  in- 
cluded many  of  the  best  -  known  names  in  every 
department  of  English  literature.  This  was  note- 
worthy and  interesting  work. 

In  1903,  becoming  the  purchaser  of  the  Times 
publication  Literature,  I  incorporated  that  journal 
with  The  Academy,  but,  in  February  1905,  I  sold 
the  copyrights  to  Sir  George  Newnes,  under  whose 
direction  the  title  "  Literature "  has  been  dropped, 
and  the  original  name  of  "Academy"  alone  pre- 
served. 

During  my  proprietorship  there  was  only  one 
change  in  the  editorial  department,  Mr  Hind 
being  succeeded  after  seven  years  by  Mr  W. 
Teignmouth  Shore,  who  conducted  the  paper  until 
the  final  transfer  was  made. 

The  present  owner  has,  of  course,  created  a  new 
staff  for  the  conduct  of  the  journal. 

When  I  came  to  London  in  1867  the  Holborn 
Viaduct,  on  which  is  my  present  business  establish- 
ment, was  not  constructed. 

In  the  centre  of  High  Holborn  there  was  still 
standing  Middle  Row,  comprised  of  a  number  of 
almost  disreputable  houses  and  shops,  greatly  to 
the  hindrance  of  locomotion  —  a  blot  upon  the 
highway,  bearing  strong  proof  of  the  folly  of  that 
authority  which  suffered  so  strange  a  blot  to  exist 
where  the  city  authority  exercised  no  jurisdiction, 
L  161 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

The  Middle  Row  was  removed,  and  the  Viaduct 
was  opened  on  6th  November  1869,  and  on  that  occa- 
sion my  ambition  to  distinguish  myself  was  so  great 
that  I  stood  against  the  barricade  at  the  Holborn 
side  for  a  long  time,  awaiting  the  lowering  of  the 
bars,  that  I  might  be  one  of  the  first  to  walk  over 
the  new  Viaduct  upon  the  day  of  opening.  Not 
satisfied  with  that  achievement,  I  also  mounted  an 
omnibus  which  crossed,  and  sat  beside  the  driver, 
to  whom  I  suggested  that  he  should  get  himself 
photographed  sitting  upon  the  bus,  and  sell  the 
pictures  to  such  of  his  passengers  as  shared  the 
front  seat  with  him,  as  a  souvenir  of  the  occurrence, 
and  this  he  told  me  on  subsequent  occasions  had 
turned  out  a  profitable  venture  to  him.  The  official 
portion  of  the  ceremony  was  performed  by  H.R.H. 
the  Prince  of  Wales 

The  Queen,  in  1873,  unveiled  the  equestrian  statue 
of  the  late  Prince  Consort  which  now  stands  upon 
the  west  end  of  the  Viaduct. 

Many  great  improvements  have  also  been  made 
in  this  neighbourhood,  forming  portions  of  the  great 
scheme  for  remodelling  the  whole  of  the  metropolis. 
Blackfriars  Bridge  was  in  course  of  construction  in 
1867,  and  so  also  was  the  Thames  Embankment. 
The  Bridge  was  opened  in  November  1869,  and  the 
northern  portion  of  the  Embankment  in  July  1870. 

In  the  matter  of  street  buildings  which  have  been 
improved,  I  remember  how  the  Holborn  Casino  was 
changed  into  the  Holborn  Restaurant,  and  the  old 
supper  -  rooms,  and  dancing  -  hall  became  a  famous 

162 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

dining-place  and  hostelry.  The  Argyle*  Rooms,  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Piccadilly  Circus,  have  disap- 
peared, and  also  the  Cremorne  Gardens  at  Chelsea. 

Shaftesbury  Avenue  has  been  wholly  constructed 
in  my  time,  all  the  improvements  of  Piccadilly  Circus 
carried  out ;  and  the  thoroughfare  widened  and  im- 
proved at  Hyde  Park  Corner,  where  for  so  many 
years  the  old  Duke  of  Wellington  sat  his  horse  on 
the  top  of  an  arch. 

The  sweeping  changes  now  going  on  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  new  road  from  Holborn  through 
Kingsway  and  Aldwych  to  the  Strand  mark  the 
era  of  far-reaching  improvements,  which  will  be 
carried  out  in  due  course  when  this  one  is  completed. 

The  Metropolitan  Railway  Underground  System 
has  been  fully  organised,  and  one  of  the  attractive 
sights  to  American  visitors  has  been  a  journey  on 
the  Inner  Circle. 

One  visitor  said  Americans  "  will  not  descend  to 
a  train ;  we  prefer  to  ascend — hence  our  elevated 
railway."  All  the  same,  in  1905,  New  York  has  a 
subway  tube  service  twelve  miles  in  length. 

Cleopatra's  Needle  I  saw  set  up  on  the  Embank- 
ment, after  the  adventurous  voyage,  so  fatal  to  a 
number  of  English  sailors,  through  the  Bay  of 
Biscay.  This  is  a  noble  monument,  a  gift  to  the 
nation  realised  by  the  generosity  of  Sir  Erasmus 
Wilson. 

Leicester  Square  in  1867  was  nothing  better  than 
a  receptacle  for  rubbish,  and  within  a  miserable  iron 
fence,  enclosing  an  open  space,  the  dilapidated 

163 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

equestrian  statue  of  George  I.  was  the  butt  for  all 
the  practical  jokes  of  fast  youths. 

Mr  Albert  Grant  saw  his  opportunity  for  doing  a 
good  deed,  and  to  him  the  metropolis  is  indebted  for 
possessing  at  the  present  day,  one  of  the  prettiest 
open  spaces  in  London.  He  bought  up  the  interests 
of  all  the  owners,  laid  out  the  space  as  garden 
ground,  with  winding  paths,  flowers,  and  shrubs,  and 
adorned  the  whole  with  the  figure  of  Shakespeare,  sur- 
rounded with  the  busts  of  the  eminent  men  who,  at 
various  periods,  resided  in  the  square,  or  the  immedi- 
ate neighbourhood.  I  remember  well  the  day  ap- 
pointed for  the  formal  opening.  This  was  to  have 
been  the  gracious  work  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  now 
King  Edward  ;  but  Mr  Grant,  who  at  the  time  had 
bought  a  title  of  "  Baron,"  had  the  misfortune  to  oc- 
cupy a  considerable  amount  of  space  in  the  news- 
papers owing  to  his  connection  with  the  Emma 
Mine, — the  Californian  Eldorado  as  many  hoped, 
and  the  public  favour  was  withdrawn  from  him : 
officials  and  distinguished  persons  in  art,  literature, 
and  politics,  were  absent,  and  the  occasion  was  with- 
out glory.  Notwithstanding  the  gift  of  the  square, 
the  public  of  London  turned  their  backs  upon  the 
Baron. 

In  the  world  of  athletics,  the  first  international 
event  I  witnessed  was  the  boat  race,  between  the 
students  of  Harvard  and  Oxford,  from  Putney  to 
Mortlake,  upon  the  Thames,  which  took  place  in 
1869,  and  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  Harvard.  I  saw 
the  race  from  the  river-bank  near  Hammersmith. 

164 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

For  about  half  the  race  Harvard  led,  and  people 
shouted  :  "  They  will  win  "  ;  but  as  they  passed  where 
I  stood  the  shout  was  changed  to  :  "  They  are  pumped." 
This  was  the  first  occasion  I  ever  heard  that  word 
applied  to  the  state  of  collapse  into  which  the 
American  champions  had  fallen. 

Since  that  time  I  have  witnessed  many  international 
contests  of  every  kind  between  the  universities,  in 
the  course  of  which  the  Americans  have  occasionally 
come  off  triumphant.  In  rowing,  however,  the  point 
is  generally  conceded  that  the  English  crews  are 
decidedly  the  better  oarsmen. 

When  I  was  a  boy,  and  living  in  the  State  of 
Mississippi,  I  was,  as  all  American  lads,  very  fond 
of  horse  riding  and  shooting,  and  had  many  oppor- 
tunities of  indulging  the  taste  :  and,  being  much  about 
fields  and  woods,  I  was  regarded  as  by  no  means  an 
indifferent  shot  for  a  youngster.  But  for  many  years 
before  coming  to  England,  these  exercises  had  been 
almost  entirely  abandoned.  In  the  year  1890,  how- 
ever, I  found  an  agreeable  opportunity  for  testing 
my  skill  in  both  arts — riding  and  shooting.  This 
came  to  me  through  making  the  acquaintance  of  Mr 
Alf  Cooke  of  Leeds,  who  was  the  head  of  the  largest 
printing  works  in  Yorkshire,  and  who  rented  from 
the  Earl  of  Londesborough  a  shooting  of  1500  acres 
of  land  at  Scoreby,  near  York,  some  distance  from 
his  own  residence,  Weetwood  Hall,  near  Leeds.  Mr 
Cooke  was  a  man  who  had  enjoyed  a  remarkably 
successful  career,  and  was  wholly  a  self-made  man, 
and  while  a  great  worker  at  his  business  found 

165 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

opportunity  to  set  aside  certain  days  of  the  week 
during  the  shooting  season  to  indulge  in  field  sports 
in  the  society  of  invited  friends,  and  share  his  spare 
time  with  them.  On  my  first  visit  I  was  rather 
reluctant  to  join  the  party  with  guns — all  practised 
shots — until  I  had  had  the  opportunity  of  testing  my 
latent  powers.  This  opportunity  was  given  me,  and 
I  quickly  discovered  that  what  I  learned  as  a  boy 
was  not  altogether  lost,  and  though  by  no  means  a 
crack  shot,  I  was  able  to  acquit  myself  fairly  well. 
For  nearly  ten  years  in  succession,  up  to  the  period 
of  his  death,  I  uninterruptedly  enjoyed  a  visit  to  Mr 
Cooke's  place  every  shooting  season  for  sport 
amongst  the  partridges  and  pheasants.  I  will  own, 
however,  to  a  few  lessons  at  the  Shooting  School  at 
Willesden. 

My  American  friends  will,  I  am  sure,  be  glad 
to  read  further  details  of  the  sport  I  had,  because 
the  American  method  is  of  an  entirely  different 
character. 

I  generally  travelled  with  my  host  from  London 
on  the  Friday  night,  and  we  spent  Saturday  in  the 
fields  shooting.  During  my  repeated  visits  we 
became  fast  and  intimate  friends,  and  I  had  the 
greatest  appreciation  of  his  generous  hospitality. 
The  shooting  parties  were  composed  of  noteworthy 
and  stalwart  Yorkshiremen,  who  greatly  enjoyed 
days  spent  in  the  coverts,  or  on  the  moors.  The  first 
party  in  which  I  was  included  numbered  eight  guns, 
and  I  was  in  doubt,  considering  the  character  of  the 
fields  over  which  we  were  to  shoot,  whether  I  could 

1 66 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

keep  up  with  the  rest.  The  ploughed  land  and  the 
beetroot  and  potato  vines  made  walking  very  heavy, 
and  the  soil  clung  in  heavy  masses  to  one's  boots  ; 
but  I  am  glad  to  say  that,  although  considerably 
fatigued  by  the  luncheon  hour,  I  was  quite  keen  to 
resume  the  shooting,  and  continued  in  my  place  until 
the  close  of  the  day's  programme.  Notwithstanding 
the  weather,  on  every  occasion  when  I  joined  a 
shooting  party  I  was  able  to  hold  my  own  to  the 
finish. 

Sportsmen's  "  kit,"  or  outfit,  deserves  a  word  or 
two.  The  Englishman,  while  certainly  approving 
the  newest  and  smartest  of  morning  clothes  and 
evening  dress  of  all  descriptions,  has  a  great  contempt 
for  a  new  shooting  or  riding  costume,  a  new  gun- 
case,  saddle,  or  boots.  Some  method  of  introducing 
a  touch  of  antiquity  into  these  essentials  has  been 
discovered,  and  with  best  results,  as  one's  " outing" 
clothing  must  wear  out  in  time.  However,  the  tailor, 
gunsmith,  and  saddler  must  have  proved  equal  to 
the  occasion,  for  one  rarely  meets  the  "spick-and- 
span  "  costume  which  figures  in  illustrations  in  books 
and  newspapers. 

The  same  conditions  apply  to  golf  and  motoring 
outfits.  The  English  tourist  suit,  of  the  large-check 
pattern,  with  breeches  and  long  stockings,  familiar 
to  readers  of  Punch,  and  caricatured  in  American 
illustrated  journals,  is  as  rarely  seen  nowadays  as 
the  "  old  times  "  enormous  diamond  pin  ostentatiously 
displayed  in  the  shirt  front  of  the  supposed  "rich 
American." 

167 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

The  plan  pursued  on  these  shooting  expeditions 
was  the  one  common  to  all  throughout  England  for 
both  partridge  and  pheasant  shooting.  All  dogs 
are  kept  to  the  rear,  and  only  come  to  the  front  to 
find  the  fallen  bird.  In  pheasant  shooting  the  guns 
are  stationed  at  different  points,  and  beaters  are  sent 
out  to  drive  the  birds  forward.  In  every  covert 
shooting  there  is  one  position  which  is  called  "  the 
hot  corner,"  near  which,  after  the  woods  have  been 
thoroughly  beaten,  the  guns  take  up  positions  in  the 
open.  I  have  frequently  seen  men  who  could  drop 
two  birds  at  a  time,  with  right  and  left  hand  shots. 
Sport  such  as  this  cannot  fail  to  be  enjoyed 
thoroughly. 

In  partridge  shooting  the  fields  are  "  walked  up," 
a  line  is  formed  by  the  sportsmen,  and  a  gamekeeper 
at  right  and  left.  At  a  signal  given  all  steadily  move 
forward,  separated  by  forty  to  fifty  feet.  The  birds,  in 
coveys  of  ten  to  twenty,  rise  on  hearing  the  footsteps. 
They  may  rise  from  any  point,  and  those  guns  get 
the  chance  that  are  in  range  ;  but  it  is  not  unusual 
for  a  very  keen  sportsman  to  "wipe  the  eye"  of  the 
"  next  in  line "  comrade,  and  drop  the  bird  seen  at 
longer  range — on  the  outside  line,  next  the  head 
gamekeeper. 

Lunch  was  usually  taken  in  the  gamekeeper's 
cottage ;  and  if  the  shooting  areas  were  far  apart 
Mr  Cooke  always  arranged  for  a  brake  to  convey 
the  party  from  one  portion  of  the  estate  to  another. 

In  the  United  States  the  system  of  shooting  quail, 
partridges,  prairie  chickens  and  the  like,  is  to  "  shoot 

168 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

over  dogs."  Parties  divide  up,  arranging  the  area 
each  will  work.  More  often  men  go  out  singly  with 
a  dog,  letting  a  boy,  or  guide  follow,  to  carry  game. 
"  Pointers  and  setters  "  are  well  trained  in  America. 
The  eastern  and  middle  States  are  now  too  densely 
populated  and  built  over  to  encourage  sportsmen, 
one  must  go  to  the  Southern  States,  the  Far 
West,  or  the  wild  Adirondack  region  of  New  York 
State  for  important  game  of  any  kind.  Shooting 
and  fishing  clubs  of  large  membership  flourish  in 
all  favourable  localities.  Shooting,  however,  as  a 
popular  pastime  has  not  the  same  attraction  in  the 
United  States  for  gentlemen,  which  prevails  in 
England. 

In  1900 — on  the  last  occasion  of  my  visit  to 
Yorkshire — Mr  Cooke  was  in  failing  health,  and  rode 
with  the  shooting  party  on  a  well-trained  pony,  which 
allowed  him  to  shoot  from  the  saddle  ;  but  his  friends 
were  saddened  to  see  the  change  which  had  taken 
place  in  their  host.  He  died  in  1901,  after  a  long 
and  painful  illness. 

Mr  Cooke  was  a  remarkable  man.  He  was  one 
of  three  boys  born  in  Leeds  of  humble  parentage — all 
of  whom  achieved  wealth  by  their  own  industry,  and 
attained  good  positions.  I  refer  to  the  late  Colonel 
North,  and  Mr  Sampson  Fox.  Mr  Cooke  became 
Mayor  of  Leeds,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
an  alderman,  and  chairman  of  the  great  waterworks 
committee,  and  other  public  trusts  of  Leeds. 

He  was  a  very  witty  man  in  conversation,  and  had 
the  activity  and  buoyancy  of  a  boy  up  to  the  period 

169 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

of  his  last  illness,  and  was  greeted  respectfully  by 
every  class  of  people  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

I  attended  his  funeral  in  the  churchyard  of  St 
Chad's,  Headingley,  Leeds.  The  churchyard  was 
crowded  with  people,  all  anxious  to  show  their 
esteem  and  regard  for  the  deceased. 

I  have  often  been  asked  why  it  is  that  in 
London,  where  there  are  so  many  American  visitors, 
there  should  not  be  an  American  newspaper  which 
would  give  in  detail,  questions  and  occurrences 
specially  affecting  American  people.  Several  ex- 
periments have  been  made  in  this  direction,  and  not- 
ably The  New  York  Herald^  which  gave  to  Americans 
and  Britons  alike  a  New  York  re'sumd  every  morning 
for  something  like  a  year.  This  proved  to  be  an 
entire  failure  as  to  financial  results,  and  was  with- 
drawn. 

Several  Anglo-American  weekly  papers  have  at- 
tempted to  get  hold  of  the  reading  public  in  this 
country,  but,  with  the  exception  of  The  American 
Register,  without  great  success.  In  Paris,  how- 
ever, The  New  York  Herald  publishes  a  Paris 
edition,  which  has  now  attained  the  position  of  a 
fine  property ;  and  is  the  only  instance  on  record 
where  an  American  daily  paper  has  prospered  and 
rewarded  the  projectors.  Americans  are  of  opinion 
that  all  really  important  events  are  covered  by  the 
news  given  by  the  London  daily  papers,  and  there 
are  also  stock  quotations  and  money  market  details 
which  are  ample  for  all  necessary  purposes. 

I  have  made  very  few  journeys  in  England  in 

170 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

pursuit  of  business — such  travelling  as  I  have  enjoyed 
having  been  exclusively  for  pleasure  and  sight-seeing, 
though  in  the  course  of  my  thirty-eight  years'  re- 
sidence I  have  probably  visited  every  place  of  note 
or  importance.  Nearly  all  our  summer  holidays 
have  been  spent  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  which  I  was 
first  induced  to  visit  in  consequence  of  a  call  made 
upon  me  by  the  editor  of  an  Isle  of  Wight  newspaper, 
who  laid  before  me  an  illustrated  edition  of  his  paper 
containing  views  of  the  sea-front  at  Ventnor,  and 
of  the  Downs  behind.  His  eloquent  descriptions  of 
the  delights  of  the  fragrant  island  were  not  to  be 
resisted,  and  I  decided  to  pay  a  visit,  to  see  for 
myself  whether  the  praise  bestowed  on  the  island 
was  just,  or  exaggerated.  In  May  1873  the  visit 
was  made,  and  I  found  that  every  expectation  which 
had  been  made  as  to  climate,  scenery,  and  general 
delight  with  the  place,  was  more  than  realised  ;  and 
though  we  once  spent  a  summer  in  Scotland,  and 
other  holidays  at  Eastbourne,  Folkestone,  Lowestoft, 
and  Brighton,  we  never  found  any  district  which 
so  fully  came  up  to  our  requirements  and  wishes 
as  the  Isle  of  Wight ;  and  this  has  practically  been 
our  summer  home  for  more  than  thirty  years.  We 
usually  engaged  a  furnished  house  in  Ventnor  for 
several  months  at  a  time.  Our  favourite  home  for 
several  summers  was  at  Rock  Cottage  under  the  care 
of  our  good  friends,  Mr  and  Mrs  Thomas  Gibbs. 

In  1899  I  rented  from  Lord  Ampthill  the  property 
known  as  Norris  Castle,  in  East  Cowes,  which  over- 
looked the  harbour  and  the  Solent.  We  went  into 

171 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

residence  in  August,   and   remained  there  until   the 
end  of  November. 

During  this  year  the  Prince  of  Wales  met  with 
an  accident  to  his  leg,  and  spent  nearly  the  whole 
summer  on  board  the  Osborne  in  Cowes  harbour — the 
Queen  being  in  residence  at  Osborne — and  because  of 
the  presence  of  Her  Majesty  and  the  Prince,  at  the 
same  time  this  was  probably  the  most  interesting 
period  ever  known  in  the  Isle  of  Wight. 

The  following  year  I  rented  "Old  Park,"  the  well- 
known  estate  of  the  late  William  Spindler,  Esq., 
which  is  situated  between  St  Lawrence  and  Niton, 
a  charming  and  delightful  residence,  with  beautiful 
gardens  and  ornamental  grounds  overlooking  the 
Channel,  and  about  ten  miles  west  of  the  Needles. 

In  1903  I  bought  Steephill  Castle,  an  estate  near 
Ventnor,  having  rented  the  Castle  for  three  seasons 
previously  ;  finding  the  place  exactly  suited  to  our 
wishes  I  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  purchase. 

Years  ago  the  late  Queen  Victoria  and  the  Prince 
Consort  were  constant  visitors  to  the  grounds,  and  sat 
on  the  South  Terrace,  now  the  Victoria  Terrace  ;  and 
here  later  came  the  unfortunate  Empress  of  Austria 
to  reside  for  a  season.  The  Empress'  room,  on  the 
ground  floor,  was  her  favourite  apartment. 

On  the  estate  is  a  cottage  built  by  the  Earl  of  Dysart 
when  Governor  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  1792  ;  and  I  have 
recently  restored  this  interesting,  ivy-embowered  struc- 
ture. Steephill  Castle  itself  was  designed  by  Sanderson, 
who  was  the  architect  responsible  for  the  restoration  of 
the  Henry  VII.  Chapel  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

172 


CHAPTER   XII 

Walking  and  Driving  Tours  in  England — Widows  as  Publicans — Young 
America  in  England  and  Young  England  in  the  United  States — 
The  Alien  American — An  "  Unnaturalised  Alien" — Firms  of 
Americans  in  London — Continental  Experiences — A  Visit  to 
Canada — Holland — Railway  Travelling — Porters  and  Porters. 

IN  1883  I  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  a  pedestrian 
tour  in  England  with  my  old  friend,  Mr  W.  P.  Ward 
of  New  York — one  of  the  original  partners  of  Demas 
Barnes  &  Co.  We  began  by  walking  from  London 
to  Oxford,  which  occupied  us  four  days.  The  follow- 
ing year  I  went  upon  a  similar  tour  with  Mr  Ward 
in  North  Wales.  Starting  from  Llandudno  we 
ascended  Snowdon,  the  highest  mountain  in  Wales, 
and  after  descending,  walked  to  Bangor. 

Previously,  in  1872,  I  took  a  walking  tour  round 
the  Isle  of  Wight  with  Mr  F.  C.  Van  Duzer,  the 
son  of  my  partner  at  that  time.  Starting  from 
Ventnor,  we  made  the  tour  of  seventy  miles  in  a 
little  over  four  days. 

In  1888  I  took  my  first  driving  tour,  which  was  from 
London  to  Leamington,  the  route  lying  through 
Warwickshire,  Worcestershire,  and  Great  Malvern ; 
returning  through  South  Wales,  Bristol,  Gloucester, 
Somersetshire,  Oxfordshire  to  London.  The  run 
was  through  a  notable  country,  the  associations 
historical,  and  the  whole  experience  was  most  agree- 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

able.  My  son  Nelson  was  with  me  on  this  journey. 
The  vehicle  we  used  was  a  light  dogcart,  and  we 
generally  covered  from  twenty  to  thirty  miles  a  day. 
This  was  the  first  opportunity  I  had  in  England  of 
renewing  my  Californian  experiences. 

In  1889  I  took  another  route,  this  time  driving 
through  the  Thames  Valley  to  Oxford,  and  then 
through  Berkshire  and  Herts  back  to  London — 
making  a  tour  of  200  miles.  One  amusement  we 
had  on  this  tour  was  the  making  a  collection  of  the 
names  of  all  the  public-houses  which  we  passed,  the 
result  being  somewhat  amusing  in  character.  The 
number  of  "White  Harts,"  "  Red  Lions,"  "  White 
Swans,"  "  King's  Heads,"  I  dare  not  record. 

I  have  introduced  the  subject  of  these  drives 
and  walking  tours,  which  were  not  eventful,  that  I 
might  refer  to  the  wonderful  country  roads  and  foot- 
ways which  one  traverses  in  almost  every  part  of 
England,  in  marked  contrast  with  the  distinctly 
rough  driving  and  walking,  one  must  experience  in 
nearly  all  sections  of  the  United  States.  The 
English  roads  everywhere  are  like  an  American 
trotting  race-course,  and  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 
"  The  wayside  inns  "  and  hostelries  of  England  have 
been  described  by  many  able  writers,  and  I  only 
wish  to  confirm  all  that  has  been  said  in  their 
favour — a  hearty  welcome,  simplicity,  and  comfort 
of  the  old-fashioned  type.  The  traveller's  reward 
is  assured,  whether  calling  at  noonday,  or  for  the 
dinner,  bed,  and  breakfast.  One  is  also  glad  to 
escape  the  "  menu "  card,  and  leave  everything  to 

'74 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  judgment  of  "  mine  host."  The  tap -room  and 
bar  is  a  feature  of  all  countryside  inns,  and  one 
hears  amusing  if  not  instructive  conversation. 

One  extraordinary  circumstance  attracted  my  atten- 
tion in  my  walking  and  driving  tours — namely,  that 
at  nearly  every  inn  and  public-house  at  which  we 
stopped  the  house  was  conducted  by  a  woman,  and 
in  many  instances  by  a  widow  and  her  daughters. 
Upon  questioning  my  friends  after  my  return,  the 
general  opinion  was  expressed  that  the  fact  disclosed 
the  fatal  effect  of  a  constant  tippling  on  the  part  of 
the  husband,  the  wife  not  readily  falling  into  that 
bad  habit. 

I  have  often  been  asked  as  to  the  possibilities 
likely  to  follow  when  a  young  American  comes 
to  London  with  a  view  to  acquiring  a  knowledge 
of  business,  and  ultimately  establishing  himself  in 
England.  Long  observation  has  led  me  to  the  con- 
clusion that  an  American's  chances  are  by  no  means 
favourable  in  any  line  of  business.  American  friends 
have  frequently  urged  me  to  take  their  sons  into  my 
employ  as  clerks  or  travellers,  and  in  no  instance 
has  the  trial  resulted  in  a  satisfactory  way.  The 
whole  conduct  and  habit  of  business  in  England,  are 
entirely  different  from  what  is  current  in  America. 
The  currency  differs,  the  methods  of  the  people 
differ ;  and  the  conduct  of  men  is  entirely  dissimilar 
to  what  is  observable  in  the  United  States.  American 
youths  are  submissive  enough,  but  greatly  fail  in  the 
matter  of  reverence  for  their  elders,  and  for  those 
who  are  really  set  in  authority.  They  have  no  in- 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

tention  to  be  discourteous  or  rude,  in  the  slightest 
degree,  yet  they  invariably  seem  to  be  regarded  by 
Englishmen  as  too  full  of  "  bounce."  In  my  judg- 
ment, tact  and  good  manners  are  good  capital,  and 
are  as  important  as  a  good  banking  account. 

jfhese  very  differences  apply  with  the  same  urgency 
against  the  prospect  of  a  young  Englishman  succeed- 
ing in  the  United  States.  The  Briton's  dignity  and 
manner  are  apt  to  suggest  to  an  American  employer 
that  he  has  not  got  any  "go  in  him."  To  my  mind, 
foreigners  of  all  countries  have  an  excellent  chance 
of  succeeding  in  America  if  they  are  quick  to  adapt 
themselves  to  the  requirements  of  the  country. 
Englishmen  and  foreigners  generally  will  succeed 
in  the  United  States  as  merchants,  traders,  farmers, 
and  labourers.  The  climate  and  general  air  of 
freedom  in  the  States  seems  to  stimulate  them  to 
put  forth  their  best  energies. 

The  present  population  of  the  United  States  is 
set  down  at  70,000,000,  which  includes  30,000,000 
born  of  almost  every  foreign  country,  and  the  major 
number  have  become  naturalised  American  citizens 
— a  process  which  is  easily  gone  through — but  in  my 
opinion  very  few  Americans  settled  in  England  ever 
become  naturalised  citizens. 

About  fifteen  years  ago  I  was  offered  the  honour 
of  being  elected  a  member  of  one  of  the  City  Com- 
panies of  London,  and  when  I  received  the  papers 
relating  to  membership  I  discovered  that  I  was  not 
eligible  unless  I  first  became  a  naturalised  citizen  of 
Great  Britain,  and  took  the  oath  of  allegiance.  This, 

176 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

however,  I  was  reluctant  to  do,  and,  therefore,  my 
name  was  withdrawn.  I  am,  therefore,  in  this  curious 
position — I  cannot  vote  for  any  Member  of  Parlia- 
ment, nor  hold  any  public  office  other  than  in  local 
parochial  matters  such  as  a  School  Board  or  a  Board 
of  Guardians  of  the  district  in  which  I  reside — but  I 
am  not  excused  from  paying  in  full  all  rates  and 
taxes.  My  disqualification  to  vote  for  a  parliamentary 
candidate  is  continually  being  thrust  before  me  ;  but 
rarely  have  I  ever  received  one  more  absurdly  igno- 
rant than  the  last,  which  came  to  hand  under  date 
1 9th  August  1905,  which  reached  me  at  Steephill 
Castle.  The  objection  is  taken  by  one  whose 
name  I  mercifully  conceal.  There  are  two  ob- 
jections, and  the  second  is:  "That  you  are  an  un- 
naturalised  alien ! "  Even  now  some  men  insist, 
with  Dogberry,  to  be  written  down  "an  ass."  The 
non-naturalisation  has,  however,  certain  advantages, 
because  I  cannot  be  called  upon  to  serve  upon  any 
juries  other  than  a  coroner's  jury.  I  have  been 
summoned  on  a  great  many  juries,  but  have  always 
been  excused  because  I  am  an  alien,  and  a  man 
must,  by  law,  be  tried  by  a  jury  of  his  countrymen. 
But  I  have  never  encountered  any  difficulty  in  con- 
sequence of  my  non-naturalisation,  and  certainly  my 
experience  proves  that  equal  justice  in  law  is  meted 
out  to  the  native  born,  the  naturalised,  and  non- 
naturalised  alike. 

When  I  came  over  in  1867  there  were  not  ex- 
ceeding a  dozen  firms  of  American  origin,  including 
the  American  banking  houses.  To-day  there  are  many 

M  I77 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

hundreds  engaged  exclusively  in  American  manu- 
factures and  productions.  The  principal  American 
banking  houses  to  which  visitors  from  across  the 
Atlantic  brought  letters  of  credit  to  this  country  in 
1867  were  Messrs  Brown,  Shipley  &  Co.,  Messrs 
Barings  &  Co.,  Messrs  George  Peabody  &  Co., 
Messrs  Jay  Cooke,  M'Culloch  &  Co.  Messrs  George 
Peabody  have  been  succeeded  by  Messrs  J.  S. 
Morgan  &  Co.  Mr  George  Peabody,  besides  being 
a  banker,  was  also  a  well-known  philanthropist. 
Many  years  before  his  death  Mr  Junius  S.  Morgan 
became  his  partner,  and  succeeded  to  the  business. 

The  second  time  I  visited  Paris  was  immediately 
after  the  fall  of  the  Commune,  when  the  Napoleonic 
dynasty  had  ended.  Many  of  the  chief  buildings 
were  in  ruins,  and  I  examined  them  with  a  consider- 
able amount  of  interest  as  relics  of  a  fallen  monarchy 
and  the  crime  of  an  ignorant  section  of  the  people. 
In  1871  the  firm  of  Van  Duzer  &  Richards  established 
a  branch  office  in  Paris,  and  for  two  or  three  years 
succeeding  I  made  monthly  visits  there  in  connection 
with  the  branch,  and  this  continued  until  the  dissolu- 
tion of  our  partnership.  I  also  paid  several  visits  to 
Hamburg,  where  a  branch  agency  of  Van  Duzer 
existed,  and  travelled  on  business  in  Holland  and 
Belgium  ;  and  the  only  pleasure  trip  I  took  for  several 
years — other  than  visits  to  Paris — was  one  with  Mrs 
Richards  by  steamer  to  Rotterdam,  and  through 
Holland  up  the  Rhine  on  to  Hamburg,  returning  by 
steamer  direct  to  London  Bridge. 

My  impressions  of  what  a  foreign  country  was  like 

178 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

were  realised  on  visiting  Paris — and  I  have  found  this 
to  be  the  case  with  nearly  all  Americans.  I  do  not 
think  they  are  prejudiced  in  England,  for  this  is  not 
a  strange  land,  because  they  hear  their  own  tongue  ; 
but  when  they  cross  the  Channel  they  hear  for  the 
first  time  a  foreign  tongue,  and  mark  foreign  customs, 
which  are  a  great  contrast  to  what  they  see  or  hear 
either  in  England  or  America. 

A  short  stay  in  Rotterdam  taught  me  how  unjust  I 
had  been  in  my  estimate  of  the  Dutch  by  my  ac- 
quaintance with  a  Dutchman  who  was  employed  in 
the  same  warehouse  in  New  York  in  which  I  was 
first  employed.  He  was  thoroughly  Dutch  in  all 
his  ways,  well  educated,  and  could  speak  English, 
but  was  spoken  of  and  looked  upon  by  the  American 
working  staff  as  someone  quite  inferior  because  he 
came  from  Rotterdam.  My  knowledge  of  geography 
had  failed  to  impress  me  with  the  importance  of  that 
seaport,  but  when  I  saw  for  myself  the  grand  streets 
and  stately  public  buildings,  the  busy  quays  and 
crowded  warehouses,  I  felt  inclined  to  write  to  my 
former  comrade,  and  beg  his  pardon  for  having  be- 
littled him  as  not  having  seen  anything  grand  or 
important  until  he  reached  New  York,  the  Empire 
City. 

My  travelling  in  England  has  never  been  in  any 
way  extensive,  though  I  have  paid  single  or  several 
visits  to  most  of  the  cities  and  centres  of  industry  in 
the  United  Kingdom.  I  consider  that  the  con- 
veniences for  travellers  and  the  conveniences  for 
travelling  in  England  surpass  those  which  we  possess 

179 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

in  the  United  States.  The  comfort  found  in  first, 
second,  and  third  class  passenger  carnages ;  the 
tidiness  and  smartness  of  railway  stations  ;  the  civilities 
of  the  officials  ;  the  absence  of  all  loungers  and  loafers 
at  the  stations — all  these  are  far  in  advance  of  the 
experience  obtained  in  the  United  States.  English 
railway  fares  are  reasonable,  and  having  three  classes 
of  fares  people  can  economise  if  they  wish  to  do  so 
and  without  loss  of  time. 

I  am  not  prepared  to  support  the  opinion  which  I 
have  frequently  heard,  that  only  fools  ride  first  class, 
and  that  a  third-class  carriage  is  as  comfortable  as  the 
first — the  difference  existing  in  one's  imagination  only. 
Personally,  I  consider  a  first-class  carriage  extremely 
comfortable  and  luxurious,  and  a  third-class  carriage 
I  consider  distinctly  uncomfortable  if  the  full  com- 
plement of  passengers  is  inside,  which  is  fixed  at 
ten  ;  while  in  the  first  class  the  maximum  is  six.  The 
accommodation  in  third-class  carriages  has  greatly 
improved  during  the  past  few  years  on  some  lines  ; 
a  few  having  been  guilty  of  the  extravagance  of 
providing  cushioned  sides  and  backs.  Americans 
must  have  the  credit  of  being  the  first  to  introduce 
into  England  the  Pulman  car,  the  dining-car,  and  a 
new  heating  system.  But  the  new  method  of  heating 
is  not  popular,  passengers  preferring  the  old-fashioned 
comfort  of  iron  foot  warmers,  which  are  simply  tubes 
of  hot  water.  Sleeping-carriages  have  been  adopted 
on  the  lines  of  railway  to  the  north  and  west,  of 
England,  and  on  all  lines  where  the  journey  occupies 
upwards  of  eight  hours.  This  also  is  an  American 

180 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

invention.  Americans  travelling  in  England  often 
complain  that  they  cannot  get  a  drink  of  iced 
water  in  a  Pulman  carriage  in  England,  and  that 
newspapers  and  periodicals  and  pop  -  corn  are 
not  offered  for  sale  during  journeys.  These,  which 
the  American  considers  essentials,  can  only  be  ob- 
tained at  the  stations.  All  Americans  are  favourably 
impressed  with  the  excellent  character  of  the  refresh- 
ment-rooms on  British  railways,  and  the  appearance 
of  the  railway  stations,  as  compared  with  the  very 
inferior  character  of  what  they  see  on  American  lines 
of  railway,  particularly  in  the  matter  of  obtaining 
drinks,  or  quick  lunches.  The  dining-car  on  the 
American  railway  has  almost  effected  the  abolition 
of  the  station  restaurant  or  luncheon  bar.  There  is 
a  noticeable  feature  on  English  railways  which  always 
excites  admiration,  and  that  is  the  care  and  attention 
given  to  the  little  station  gardens,  which  often  display 
a  high  appreciation  of  horticulture.  Another  point 
which  is  very  noticeable  in  England  is  that  all  railway 
officials  in  every  department  wear  uniform,  which  is 
not  the  case  in  the  United  States.  English  railway 
porters  are  the  most  obliging  creatures  the  world  has 
ever  produced,  and  for  a  small  "  tip  "  save  the  traveller 
from  the  burden  and  anxiety  of  having  to  look  after 
his  luggage. 

In  contrast  with  this,  I  may  mention  what  happened 
to  me  in  the  United  States  in  1902.  I  arrived  at  a 
station  called  Morristown,  in  St  Lawrence  County, 
New  York,  by  a  ferry-boat  from  Brockville,  in  Canada. 
The  railway  station  was  some  forty  yards  from  the 

181 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

landing- stage,  and  I  had  seven  pieces  of  luggage,  all 
small,  for  convenience  of  handling.  The  whole  seven 
could  have  been  placed  inside  an  American  "  Saratoga" 
trunk.  When  the  boat  reached  the  landing  I  turned 
to  a  "boy"  I  thought  was  a  porter,  but  who  really 
was  a  boatman,  and  said  to  him  :  "I  should  like  my 
things  taken  to  the  railway  platform."  His  reply  was  : 
"  I  guess  you  will  have  to  take  them  yourself,  then." 
As  the  day  was  hot,  I  wondered  whether  I  should 
be  able  to  find  someone  to  carry  them  for  me. 
Going  up  to  the  Stationmaster,  I  told  him  what  I 
wanted,  and  to  my  surprise  he  confirmed  the  boat- 
man's remark,  that  there  was  no  one  there  to  handle 
passengers'  luggage.  Next,  I  went  to  an  express 
office  in  the  station,  and  asked  the  clerk  in  charge 
if  he  could  give  me  any  assistance,  to  which  he 
replied :  "  Yes ;  I  will  send  a  man  for  them  if  you 
will  pay  25  cents  a  package."  I  expressed  my  readi- 
ness to  do  so,  whereupon  he  shouted  up  to  a  lazy- 
looking  fellow  :  "  Bill,  here's  a  man  with  seven  grip 
sacks  left  on  the  boat  landing,  bring  them  here  in  a 
hurry."  The  result  was  quite  satisfactory,  and  I  had 
my  luggage  safely  stowed  on  board  my  train  for  an 
expenditure  of  about  6s.,  for  doing  which  any  English 
railway  porter  would  have  accepted  6d. 

I  must  here  refer  to  the  occasion  of  my  visit  to 
Canada.  It  was  to  pay  a  flying  visit  to  Senator 
George  T.  Fulford,  residing  at  Brockville.  Senator 
Fulford  and  family  have  spent  a  portion  of  each  year 
in  London  since  1892,  and  my  firm  acts  as  his  agents 
in  a  very  important  business.  Our  relations  with 

182 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

him  and  his  charming  family  have  grown  into  those 
of  a  warm  personal  character.  I  need  not  say  how 
delighted  I  was  to  pay  this  visit  and  enjoy  the  splendid 
hospitality  that  was  tendered  to  me.  Fulford  Place, 
built  of  granite  in  the  style  of  a  huge  Italian  Mansion, 
faces  the  St  Lawrence  River.  I  arrived  on  a  perfect 
sunshiny  day  in  October,  and  had  the  great  pleasure 
of  a  cruise  in  my  host's  yacht  up  to  Alexandra  Bay 
and  the  Thousand  Islands.  Other  excursions  by 
land  were  taken.  Every  possible  delight  that  kind- 
ness could  suggest  was  secured  to  me,  and  the  forty- 
eight  hours  at  my  disposal  were  too  quickly  spent. 

In  America  you  do  not  always  hear  a  "  Thank  you  " 
even  when  tips  are  given.  I  have  had  to  bribe 
porters  with  large  fees,  when  I  have  asked  them  to 
do  something  out  of  their  ordinary  routine,  and  help 
me  in  or  out  of  a  train  with  my  hand  luggage.  I 
should  explain,  however,  that  the  average  American 
traveller  does  not  encumber  himself  with  hand  luggage 
of  any  kind  :  he  "  checks  "  his  luggage  from  one  station 
to  his  destination,  and  can  obtain  the  same  upon 
arrival  by  giving  up  his  duplicate  check  to  an  express 
man,  who  goes  through  the  train  before  reaching  any 
large  town,  and  for  is.  per  package  will  deliver  your 
luggage  in  any  part  of  the  city  or  town  to  which 
you  are  going. 

To  explain  the  American  system  of  luggage  check- 
ing, about  which  I  am  often  asked,  I  append  an  exact 
reproduction  of  the  official  metal  check  which  a 
passenger  receives  for  each  piece  of  luggage  taken 
by  all  lines  of  the  railways.  The  large  check  is 

183 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

affixed  to  the  handle  of  the  trunk  or  bag  by  slipping 
the  end  of  the  leather  strap  through  the  loop.  The 
duplicate  is  retained  by  the  passen- 
ger until  he  claims  his  luggage  at 
the  terminus,  or  is  surrendered  to 
the  Express  Delivery  Company, 
whose  representative  "  boards  the 
train "  before  reaching  the  terminus, 
and  from  each  passenger  takes  in- 
structions for  delivery  to  hotel,  or 
residence,  or  for  transfer  to  another 
railway,  giving  Express  Company 
checks  in  exchange  for  the  railway 
voucher.  A  charge  of  25  cents  to 
35  cents  is  made  to  deliver  such 
pieces  of  luggage  within  city  or  town 
limit.  The  baggage  check  illustrated 
is  one  used  by  the  Boston  and  Albany 
and  New  York  and  New  Haven  Railway.  This  check 
ing  system  is  more  convenient  and  safe,  both  for  pas- 
sengers and  railway  companies,  than  the  pasted  label 
method  employed  in 
England.  Another 
advantage  is  that,  if 


Brighton  &  South  Coast  Railway. 


Portsmouth  Harbour  to 


London  Bridge 


you  do  not  wish  to 
immediately  claim 
your  luggage  at  the 
terminus,  no  time  is 
wasted  in  taking 
what  you  have  to  a  cloak-room.  The  check  en- 
sures the  passenger's  luggage  being  taken  care  of 

184 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

till  called  for  and  the  " duplicate"  produced.  For 
the  information  of  Americans  who  have  not  English 
railway  experience  I  here  add  a  reduced  copy  in 
fac-simile  of  the  paste  label  as  used  in  Great  Britain 
on  all  lines  of  travel. 

Many  Americans  coming  to  this  country  express 
surprise  that  at  railway  stations  passengers  are  con- 
tent to  have  their  luggage  simply  labelled,  and  that 
being  done,  feel  confident  that  their  luggage  will  be 
properly  carried  and  delivered  up  to  the  owner  at  the 
station  where  they  will  alight,  the  passenger  holding 
no  receipt  or  voucher  of  any  kind.  In  practice,  the 
loss  of  luggage  is  extremely  rare  in  England,  and 
the  claiming  of  luggage  by  unauthorised  persons  is 
also  a  rare  occurrence.  Personally,  I  have  never  lost 
an  article  in  this  way,  nor  had  anything  miscarry, 
and  I  never  failed  to  secure  afterwards  any  article 
which  had  been  unintentionally  left  on  the  platform, 
or  an  umbrella  casually  left  in  the  train. 

The  same  degree  of  safety  also  attaches  to  articles 
left  in  London  cabs  or  in  theatres.  Whether  employees 
are  more  honest  than  in  America  I  do  not  know,  but 
the  fact  remains  that  articles  left  behind  in  vehicles 
and  places  of  amusement  are  nearly  always  restored 
by  application  being  made  in  the  proper  quarter. 

With  regard  to  English  hotels  in  town  or  country, 
Americans  are  always  favourably  impressed  with  the 
manner  of  their  reception  on  arrival ;  the  attention 
which  is  paid  to  the  pleasantness  of  the  rooms ;  the 
courtesy  of  the  servants  ;  and  the  absence  of  the  rush 
and  indifferent  methods  at  most  of  the  American 

185 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

hotels.  The  English  hotel  proprietor,  either  in  person 
or  by  proxy,  makes  a  certainty  that  any  guest  arriving 
shall  have  every  attention  shown,  a  hearty  welcome, 
and  be  made  at  home.  Pains  are  taken  also  to 
identify  a  guest,  so  that  if  a  friend  calls  they  can 
recognise  the  person  wanted  without  a  number. 


186 


CHAPTER   XIII 

Revisiting  America— The  Changes  apparent — In  Ships  crossing  the 
Atlantic — Improved  Roads — Sky-scrapers — Servants — Hours  of 
Labour  changed — Merchants  seen  by  Everybody — Travelling 
Facilities — Tyranny  of  Hackmen — Charity  Collections — Eating, 
Drinking,  and  Smoking — American  Women — The  Stage  Yankee 
— Questions  of  Accent  and  Pronunciation. 


BETWEEN  the  years  1867  and  1905  I  have  crossed 
the  Atlantic  forty  times.  In  a  previous  chapter  I 
have  described  the  characteristics  of  the  Russia,  one 
of  the  Cunard  Line  upon  which  I  travelled  when  I 
first  came  to  England.  The  great  advance  made  in 
sea-going  vessels  is  as  remarkable  as  that  of  any 
other  great  improvement  in  travelling  made  upon 
land.  This  has  not  been  a  rapid  development,  nor 
has  the  saving  in  time  which  has  been  effected  been 
as  marked  as  the  size  and  luxurious  appointments  of 
the  vessels  employed  in  the  transatlantic  service. 
Personally,  I  have  always  given  the  preference  to 
the  Cunard  Company,  and,  with  three  exceptions 
only,  have  always  travelled  by  that  line.  Upon  two 
occasions  I  have  gone  by  the  White  Star  Line,  and 
once  by  the  old  National  Line,  on  the  s.s.  Spain. 
Between  the  Russia  of  1867  and  the  Campania  of 
1902  the  improvements  referred  to  are  really  won- 
derful, including  the  introduction  of  the  Marconi 
apparatus  on  these  ships  ;  and  the  publication  of  a 
daily  paper  on  board,  containing  the  latest  news, 

187 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

appears  to  crown  all  that  can  be  desired  on  these 
fine  vessels. 

I  have  already  referred  to  the  plain  and  substantial 
food  supplied  on  the  earlier  vessels,  but  now  every 
delicacy  which  is  in  season  will  be  found,  with  ample 
supply  of  fruit  for  dessert.  The  wines  are  of  every 
brand  known  on  the  market.  The  third-class  menu 
is  also  generous  in  the  extreme. 

I  had  again  brought  to  my  notice  the  unique 
opportunity  the  Atlantic  voyage  offers  for  character 
study.  Whether  the  ship's  company  may  number 
100  or  500,  there  will  never  fail  to  appear  "  the 
life  of  the  ship,"  in  the  person  of  some  very  energetic, 
good-looking  young  lady,  wearing  a  jaunty  hat,  white 
shirt  waist  and  navy-blue  short  skirt,  and  tan  boots, 
ready  for  a  deck  promenade  in  all  weathers.  She  will 
explore  the  engine-room,  or  sit  as  near  the  ship's 
bows  as  it  is  possible  to  get ;  take  part  in  all  deck 
games  ;  oblige  with  a  song  in  the  music-room  ;  pass 
the  plate  for  collection  on  the  evening  of  the  inevitable 
"  Ship  Concert"  ;  and  generally  interest  herself  in  all 
that  is  going  on.  This  performance  soon  attracts 
the  male  counterparts  of  this  young  lady,  to  the  extent 
of  three  or  four,  who  roam  the  ship  in  her  glad 
company,  each  endeavouring  to  rival  the  other  in 
their  devotion.  Then  there  is  always  the  passenger 
who  crosses  every  year  ;  has  "  the  best  room  in  the 
ship  ; "  best  seat  at  the  table  ;  best  attendance  from 
the  stewards  ;  special  dishes  served  to  his  luncheon 
or  dinner,  and  in  a  quiet  way  will  tell  you  that  he  is 
allowed  by  the  owners  and  captain  to  "  run  "  the  ship. 

188 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

He  is  seemingly  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  there 
are  at  least  a  dozen  "best  rooms,"  all  regulated  by 
the  printed  rates  "according  to  accommodation,"  open 
to  first  come,  first  served  ;  that  seats  at  table  are 
allotted  by  the  saloon  steward  in  a  fair  manner, 
and  usually  according  to  priority  of  booking  and 
the  class  of  room  occupied.  "  Attendance  "  is  a  matter 
understood  by  everyone. 

And  then  there  is  the  very  select  family  party,  with 
deck-chairs  grouped  together  in  a  sheltered  position, 
conscious  of  their  reserved  superiority.  Speaking  to 
a  juvenile  member  of  one  of  these  groups,  a  bright 
little  girl,  I  ventured  to  ask  her  name.  She  said  : 

"  My  name  is .  Mamma  says  we  are  the  nicest 

people  on  the  ship." 

The  shorter  voyages  of  the  present  day  curtail  to 
a  large  extent  the  acquaintance  and  good  fellowship 
among  passengers  that  used  to  occur  in  the  old  days. 
People,  however,  become  friendly,  and  pass  the  time 
most  agreeably.  The  individual,  however,  is  respon- 
sible as  to  whether  he  will  enjoy  himself,  or  be  bored 
to  death,  finding  fault,  and  wishing  himself  on  land. 

One  of  the  latest  advantages  conferred  by  the 
Marconi  wireless  messages  is  to  hold  conversation 
with  other  vessels  at  sea.  These  may  be  more  than 
100  miles  apart,  and  out  of  sight,  yet  messages  are 
exchanged,  frequently  between  three  vessels  at  a  time 
during  a  space  of  twelve  hours  ;  and  messages  from 
land  to  land  are  daily  received. 

While  changes  which  I  have  described  have  been 
going  on  in  London,  my  surprise  was  very  great  to 

189 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

notice  the  changes  which  had  been  effected  in  the 
United  States  in  1902.  These  were  more  especially 
noticeable  in  New  York.  When  I  first  left  the 
States  the  only  communication  between  up-town 
and  down-town  was,  by  horse  railways  and  omnibuses 
Now  there  are  no  longer  any  horse  omnibuses  or 
horse  cars,  the  latter  having  been  superseded  by 
electric  tramways,  and  the  former  by  what  is  known  as 
"  Elevated  railways,"  and  Tube  subway  service.  The 
paving  of  the  streets  has  also  been  vastly  improved, 
and  there  is  now  scarcely  one  thoroughfare  in  New 
York  where  formerly  the  pavement  consisted  of 
cobble-stones,  or  square  blocks  of  stone,  which  has 
not  been  now  relaid  on  the  Macadam  system.  Thus 
the  old  method  of  constructing  roads  without  a  bed, 
and  adjusting  with  balancing  cement — which  resulted 
in  streets  where  the  traffic  was  enormous  becoming 
as  uneven  as  the  waves  of  the  sea — has  now  been 
superseded  by  a  modern  method,  where  the  asphalted 
surface  presents  a  perfectly  level  area  on  which  to 
travel.  By  the  new  method  there  has  been  overcome 
the  effect  of  the  winter  frost,  which  usually  penetrated 
to  a  depth  of  a  foot  or  18  inches,  and  brought 
about  a  very  irregular  surface  ;  but  now,  by  digging 
down  and  making  a  bed,  the  frost  produces  no  effect 
upon  a  road  properly  constructed  on  the  European 
plan. 

The  improvements  in  public  buildings  have  been 
very  great ;  while  merchants,  warehouses,  and  private 
dwellings  show  an  equally  great  advance.  The 
great  "  sky-scrapers  " — one  quite  new  one,  the 

190 


NATIONAL   BANK    OF   NOETH   AMEBICA,    NEW    YOEK, 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

"  Times  Building,"  runs  up  to  a  height  of  362  feet 
above  the  pavement,  with  sixty  feet  foundation,  and 
the  whole  structure  contains  thirty-one  floors — are 
served  by  electric  express  lifts,  which  go  through 
to  certain  floors  without  stopping.  On  Manhattan 
Island  "  sky-scrapers "  were  almost  necessary  on 
account  of  the  limited  area  for  building  ground  and 
the  demand  for  business  premises  and  offices,  so 
that  no  course  was  possible  to  meet  commercial 
requirements,  unless  every  inch  of  ground  was  occu- 
pied to  the  full  limit  of  safety,  as  to  the  height  of 
buildings. 

The  hotel  accommodation  had  grown  as  rapidly 
as  in  London,  and  was  as  greatly  improved.  As 
in  London,  so  also  in  New  York,  vast  numbers 
of  well-to-do  families,  who  would  prefer  a  private 
residence,  reside  in  hotels,  owing  to  the  great  servant 
difficulty.  Residential  flats  or  "  Apartment  Houses" 
(as  they  are  preferably  called  in  New  York)  have 
become  the  residences  of  thousands  who  formerly 
would  rent  a  house.  Probably  this  mode  of  house- 
keeping is  adopted  to  a  greater  extent  in  the  United 
States  than  in  London.  Living  in  hotels  to  avoid 
the  "servants"  problem  is  also  on  the  increase  in 
New  York.  Good  domestic  servants  in  the  United 
States  are  hard  to  obtain,  and  ask  extravagant 
wages.  So  great  is  the  demand  for  them  that  per- 
sons engage  without  a  reference  or  asking  for  a 
character,  and  servants  leave  without  asking  for  a 
character,  and  without  giving  notice.  The  monthly 
wages  in  1902  for  cooks  in  a  private  family  would 

191 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

average  $40  (^8) ;  for  housemaids,  $20  (£4) ;  and 
for  parlour  -  maids,  $25  (,£5).  Men  -  servants 
obtained  the  following  wages  : — butlers  $50,  (^"10)  ; 
coachmen,  $40  (^8) ;  and  footmen,  $25  (^5).  All 
these  classes  of  servants  are  foreigners,  and  as  a 
rule  are  badly  trained,  and  come  out  to  America 
without  experience  —  their  one  qualification  being 
usually,  that  they  are  strong  and  healthy.  They 
quickly  learn  the  routine  of  domestic  service.  An 
American-born  woman  of  the  white  race  is  rarely 
found  acting  as  a  servant  in  any  house.  I  have 
heard  an  American  lady  say  that  she  had  enjoyed 
in  England  nothing  so  much  as  the  civility  of  ser- 
vants, whether  in  hotels  or  private  houses.  "  Why," 
said  she,  "they  say  'Thank  you'  when  you  have  not 
given  them  anything." 

I  found  that  the  hours  of  work  in  merchants'  ware- 
houses and  professional  offices  had  been  reduced  in 
number.  As  a  boy,  I  was  expected  to  be  at  work 
by  7.30  A.M.,  and  left  at  6  P.M.  Now  the  hours 
are  from  8.30  or  9  in  the  morning  to  5  in  the 
afternoon.  But  there  still  remains  an  atmosphere 
of  bustle  and  hustle  about  a  place  of  business,  as  if 
you  were  expected  to  move  quickly  and  take  up  the 
least  possible  time  over  any  particular  duty. 

The  London  practice  of  making  appointments 
with  persons  whom  you  wish  to  see  or  visit  is 
rarely  adopted  in  American  cities.  This  would 
result  in  an  enormous  waste  of  time  in  the  States. 
Every  man  of  business  in  New  York  can  be  found 
at  his  place  during  office  hours,  and  instead  of  us- 

192 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

ing  a  private  room  the  members  of  the  firm  sit 
where  they  can  be  seen  by  everyone  entering 
the  premises,  and  persons  will  approach  the  one 
wanted  without  giving  a  thought  as  to  causing  any 
interruption :  he  walks  right  up,  in  spite  of  others 
persons  being  before  him.  Personally,  I  condemn 
this  practice  altogether,  and  instead  of  showing  a 
democratic  and  independent  feeling  in  doing  so, 
exactly  the  reverse  is  exhibited ;  but  when  I  have 
called  attention  to  the  matter,  the  only  answer  I  have 
received  has  been:  "Well,  this  is  not  London — this 
is  New  York."  But  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood 
as  saying  that  no  opportunity  is  given  for  private 
conversation  with  the  head  of  the  firm  either  on 
commercial  or  private  affairs.  The  ordinary  caller, 
I  mean,  will  not  hesitate  to  press  in  if  he  can  see 
the  man  he  is  in  search  of;  will  approach  him  without 
any  hesitation  whatever  ;  and  can  only  be  prevented 
by  some  special  regulation.  But,  of  course,  there 
are  establishments  where  private  offices  do  exist, 
and  where  the  principal  is  more  secluded  ;  and  the 
value  of  the  private  room  is  gradually  being  recog- 
nised as  giving  better  facilities  for  business  in  many 
respects. 

There  is  no  improvement,  however,  in  the  casual 
and  off-hand  manners  of  railway  servants  or  hotel 
attendants  ;  and,  to  do  them  justice,  I  do  not  think 
they  intend  to  be  rude — only  they  have  not  learned 
the  true  way  of  politeness. 

The  parks  in  New  York  I  found  to  have  been 
greatly  improved,  and  now  Central  Park  and  River- 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

side  Drive  (which  at  my  last  visit  were  only  in  a 
partial  state  of  completion)  have  developed  in  such 
a  way  as  to  bear  comparison  with  the  parks  and 
drives  possessed  by  the  finest  cities  in  the  world. 

The  pedestrian  traffic  is  now  facilitated  by  the 
Elevated  Railway,  the  Tube,  and  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  ; 
by  street  cars  and  ferries,  crossing  north  and  east, 
and  rivers,  to  Staten  Island  Ferry. 

Another  great  improvement  which  I  noticed  was 
in  the  character  of  the  wharves  and  landing-stages 
used  by  the  great  steamship  companies.  These  are 
all  built  of  wood  resting  on  piles  driven  into  the 
bed  of  the  river ;  and  as  the  tide  rises  and  falls  the 
largest  vessels  go  alongside,  and  load  or  unload,  not- 
withstanding there  is  a  fall  of  about  six  feet  at  every 
turn  of  the  tide.  The  hours  of  departure  for  vessels 
are  regulated  by  the  depth  of  water  at  Sandy  Hook 
Bar  at  the  entrance  to  the  harbour,  and  not  by  the 
state  of  the  water  in  the  north  and  east  rivers. 

The  Custom  House  regulations  have  only  been 
slightly  improved,  and  while  a  Customs'  examination 
is  made  of  passengers'  luggage  from  foreign  ports 
a  reasonable  amount  of  property  is  allowed  to  enter 
duty  free.  Notwithstanding  this  remission,  strangers 
and  Americans  greatly  complain  of  the  method  of 
examining  trunks,  after  the  required  declaration  has 
been  made  by  every  traveller  as  to  the  number  of 
packages  he  has,  and  the  value  of  their  contents, 
and  that  he  does  not  carry  anything  for  purposes 
of  trade,  but  only  for  gifts  to  relatives  and  friends. 
This  statement  has  to  be  made  before  leaving  the 

194 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

ship  in  the  presence  of  Custom  House  officers,  who 
board  the  vessel  off  the  quarantine  point.  The 
examination  of  the  baggage  does  not  commence  until 
every  piece  has  been  placed  on  the  landing-stage, 
in  sections  marked  by  letters  of  the  alphabet  cor- 
responding to  the  first  letter  of  the  owner's  surname. 
When  the  luggage  has  been  passed,  and  the  duties 
leviable  paid,  you  are  at  liberty  to  remove  your 
property,  and  forward  by  express  delivery,  at  is.  each 
package  ;  or  you  may  charter  a  private  conveyance, 
for  which  you  have  to  pay  not  less  than  5  dollars 
nor  more  than  10  dollars  to  any  spot  within  the  limits 
of  the  city.  The  majority  of  people  adopt  the  ex- 
press system  of  despatching  their  luggage,  and  then 
proceed  to  their  homes  or  hotels  by  the  Elevated 
Railway,  rather  than  submit  to  the  exorbitant  charges 
of  hackmen,  and  travel  by  a  private  vehicle.  There 
is  no  such  system  in  New  York  analogous  to  that 
which  exists  in  London  with  regard  to  articles  left 
in  public  vehicles,  and  there  is  very  little  probability 
of  anything  left  behind  in  a  public  vehicle  ever  being 
restored.  No  one  is  ever  so  foolish  as  to  put  an 
umbrella  or  walking-stick  under  a  bundle  of  rugs,  and 
send  the  whole  by  public  express,  as  there  could 
be  no  reasonable  hope  of  their  being  delivered  in 
the  same  condition. 

On  attending  a  church  service  on  Easter  Sunday 
1890  I  was  much  impressed  with  the  contrast 
between  a  similar  service  in  England  in  a  neigh- 
bourhood of  similar  character.  The  pews  of  a 
New  York  church  are  upholstered  in  a  luxurious 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

manner,  costly  carpets  cover  the  floors  of  pews  and 
aisles,  the  pulpit  stairs  and  platform,  and  give  the 
whole  the  appearance  of  a  grand  drawing-room 
arranged  for  a  concert,  or  an  entertainment  of  some 
kind.  The  school-rooms  and  lecture-room  attached 
to  the  churches  are  also  beautifully  carpeted  and 
decorated,  and  furnished  with  comfortable  chairs. 
On  that  Easter  Sunday  I  visited  two  of  the  fashion- 
able churches  in  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  and  was 
told  by  friends  who  were  well  informed  that  the 
floral  display  on  the  altars  and  in  other  portions  of 
the  church  represented  an  outlay  of  5000  dollars 
(,£1000).  Before  quarrelling  with  such  a  lavish  dis- 
play, the  question  should  be  asked  as  to  what  sum  the 
Easter  offerings  reached.  I  asked  this  question,  and 
was  told  that  in  each  of  the  churches  I  visited  they 
would  be  not  less  than  10,000  dollars  (,£2000).  These 
sums  were  collected  on  the  plates  which  were  handed 
round.  A  millionaire,  who  was  a  churchwarden, 
handed  the  plate  round  to  the  pew  in  which  I  sat, 
and  so  great  was  the  accumulation  of  bank-notes 
that  he  had  to  keep  one  hand  upon  the  top  of 
the  pile  to  prevent  them  from  being  blown  away. 
Among  the  contributions  I  noticed  5-dollar  and  100- 
dollar  notes.  These  large  sums  so  collected  were  at 
the  disposal  of  the  Rector  or  Vicar  for  charitable 
purposes,  and  he  acted  as  almoner  for  his  congrega- 
tion. There  was  no  interference  with  his  discretion 
as  to  the  bestowal  or  refusal  of  alms  to  anyone,  and 
all  requests  for  help  were  forwarded  to  the  senior 
clergyman  in  charge,  he  undertaking  the  serious 

196 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

responsibility   of  inquiring   into   all   applications    for 
help  which  were  received. 

The  demands  made  by  the  public  for  Theatres 
and  Music  halls,  I  found,  had  been  met  by  an  in- 
creased supply,  and  on  a  similar  scale  of  magnificence 
to  those  which  were  more  recently  constructed  in 
London.  The  prices  of  admission  to  all  parts  of 
New  York  theatres  are  much  lower  than  in  London  ; 
and  no  rule  prevails  as  to  dress,  excepting  upon 
occasions  when  Grand  Opera  is  presented.  No 
tips  are  expected  by  the  attendants,  nor  is  any 
charge  made  for  programmes.  Visitors  reach  the 
theatres  by  tramcars  or  the  railway  service.  Ladies 
wear  their  hats  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  gentle- 
men go  direct  from  business,  and  wearing  their 
office  dress.  Ladies  do  not  remove  their  head- 
gear, wherever  they  may  be  sitting ;  but  great 
numbers  of  men  do  attend  in  evening  dress,  as 
in  London.  There  is  no  line  drawn  as  to  the 
wearing  of  dress  in  any  particular  portion  of  the 
theatre,  and  to  exclude  a  soldier  in  uniform  would 
be  regarded  as  an  outrage  ;  but  the  negro,  notwith- 
standing that  he  is  now  a  free  and  independent 
citizen,  would  not  be  admitted  into  the  stalls  or 
dress  circles  of  a  theatre  in  North  or  South  :  he  must 
get  his  theatrical  experience  from  the  gallery,  there 
not  being  any  pit  in  an  American  theatre.  The 
advantage  of  the  democratic  method  of  attending 
theatres  in  the  United  States  is  largely  to  the 
advantage  of  the  proprietors  of  theatres,  and  the 
more  moderate  charges  which  are  made  conduce  to 

197 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  same  end.  A  man  and  his  wife  may  go  to  a 
theatre  and  occupy  stalls  there  at  a  cost,  including 
conveyance  to  and  from,  of  not  more  than  6s.  each. 
At  some  of  the  theatres,  by  signifying  your  wish 
at  the  box  office,  you  will  obtain  tickets  at  a  charge 
which  will  include  you  being  sent  for,  and  taken 
home,  after  the  performance  in  a  cab. 

London  Hansom  cabs  were  in  use  in  New  York 
to  a  considerable  extent  in  1902  ;  the  minimum  fare 
for  any  distance  was  i  dollar.  One  can  scarcely  take 
a  cab  to  pay  a  visit  or  make  a  business  call  under 
an  outlay  of  3  dollars  or  4  dollars ;  hence  com- 
paratively few  can  enjoy  the  luxury  of  a  cab  where 
fares  are  regarded  somewhat  in  the  light  of  extor- 
tion. If  measured  distances  and  reasonable  fares 
were  charged,  the  patronage  extended  to  them  would 
be  as  extensive  as  in  London. 

The  habit  of  taking  supper  after  leaving  the  theatre 
prevails  in  New  York  as  in  London,  and  practically 
the  same  menu  is  met  with  in  both  cities.  Of  course, 
in  New  York  the  oyster  is  the  ever-prevailing  dish, 
and  this  is  the  most  popular  item  at  all  restaurants 
and  refreshment  bars.  A  man  will  order  six  or  a 
dozen  oysters  without  any  further  addition  to  his  meal. 
The  oyster  in  London  is  not  cooked,  as  in  the 
States.  There  is  no  item  of  food  which  can  be  cooked 
in  so  many  different  ways.  In  England  they  only  eat 
the  oyster  raw ;  while  in  the  States  the  oyster  is 
roasted  in  the  shell,  broiled,  fried,  or  stewed.  The 
best  oysters  can  be  had  from  a  halfpenny  to  a  penny 
each,  but,  of  course,  in  a  fashionable  restaurant  or 

198 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

hotel,  a  considerable  addition  is  made  for  cooking  and 
serving. 

I  observed  no  difference  in  the  habit  of  bar- 
drinking,  nor  in  that  of  drinking  "  between  drinks" 
instead  of  with  meals.  Mint  juleps,  cocktails,  plain 
whisky,  and  brandy  taken  almost  neat,  are  the 
popular  beverages,  and  in  many  instances  they  are 
taken  much  too  frequently.  The  wine  most  favoured 
at  dinner  is  champagne,  and  the  United  States  are 
said  to  be  the  largest  buyers  in  the  world ;  and  they 
are  also  the  largest  buyers  of  Havana  cigars,  smoking 
tobacco  which  they  produce  themselves.  There  is 
also  an  important  industry  carried  on  in  the  manu- 
facture of  ''domestic  cigars,"  which  possess  a  tobacco- 
leaf  cover,  and  inside  prepared  cabbage  leaves. 
There  is  an  important  tobacco  and  cigar  industry 
carried  on  at  Key  West.  When  I  was  a  boy  a 
cigar  costing  10  cents  (5d.)  was  considered  an  ex- 
travagance even  for  a  man  of  good  position  to  smoke  ; 
but  now  the  same  class  buy  cigars  which  cost  40  cents 
(is.  8d.)  and  50  cents  (25.  id.). 

Americans  are  frequently  described,  and  rightly  so, 
as  extravagant  in  the  matter  of  personal  indulgence. 
On  the  other  hand,  many  are  careful  and  prudent,  and 
manage  their  affairs  with  commendable  prudence,  like 
many  men  in  every  part  of  the  globe.  In  London 
you  frequently  hear,  when  a  great  charity  is  in  need 
of  exceptional  assistance,  or  a  sale  is  about  to  take 
place  of  some  famous  painting  or  rare  article  of  value  : 
"  Please  introduce  me  to  some  rich  American."  Now, 
Americans  are  not  richer  than,  nor  nearly  so  rich  as,  a 

199 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

wealthy  man  in  England,  nor  are  they  so  numerous. 
If  there  is  any  difference  between  the  two  classes,  the 
more  prudent  man  is  the  Englishman,  because,  as  a 
rule,  he  limits  his  expenditure  to  his  means  ;  while  an 
American  does  not  hesitate  to  spend  his  capital  in 
order  to  carry  out  his  own  wishes  as  to  mode  of 
living,  or  to  accomplish  what  he  and  his  family  may 
desire  to  carry  out.  In  England  men  are  spoken  of 
as  having  so  much  per  annum  ;  in  America  they  are 
spoken  of  as  being  worth  so  many  millions  of  dollars, 
and  very  rarely  indeed  is  a  man  spoken  of  by  his 
income.  An  American  will  spend  the  whole  of  his 
income  without  any  hesitation  if,  for  social  or  other 
reasons,  his  purpose  would  be  served.  An  English- 
man, as  a  rule,  with  those  with  whom  he  is  intimate, 
will  plainly  make  known  his  circumstances  in  a 
perfectly  natural  and  honest  way.  "  Oh  !  "  he  will  say, 
"  I  have  only  got  ^500  a  year."  But  wild  horses  would 
not  drag  out  of  an  American  any  admission  of  that 
character.  He  would  never  be  identified  with  a  fixed 
income  until  he  was  connected  with  a  post  the 
emolument  of  which  was  known.  The  Englishman 
by  his  openness  gains  the  greater  credit,  and  he  is 
not  led  into  expenses  which  he  cannot  afford,  and  he 
is  not  asked  to  participate  in  entertainments  and 
functions,  which  are  beyond  his  means.  If  urged  to 
do  so,  he  will  frankly  remind  you  of  the  state  of  his 
finances. 

American  women  are  more  indulged  than  English 
women,  because  they  eclipse  English  women  in  their 
ability  to  inspire  their  husbands  ;  and  they  are  also 

200 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

more  extravagant  in  their  personal  expenditure,  but 
in  this  particular  they  are  encouraged  by  their 
husbands.  Many  Americans  who  are  quite  indifferent 
as  to  their  own  indulgence  in  the  matter  of  dress, 
amusements,  or  carriages  will  cheerfully  support  the 
fancies  and  foibles  of  the  female  members  of  their 
families.  In  all  matters  of  pleasure-making,  amuse- 
ments, and  travelling  the  American  woman  sets  the 
pace. 

The  passion  for  travel  between  the  two  countries 
during  the  last  twenty-five  years  has  become  so  great 
that  the  better  class  of  Americans  have  all  paid  visits 
to  England,  and  no  one  in  society  would  admit 
that  a  visit  was  the  first,  being  paid  to  England. 
Notwithstanding  the  English  familiarity  now  with 
the  genuine  American,  his  appearance,  speech,  and 
manners,  he  is  still  represented  upon  the  stage  as 
wearing  short  trousers,  a  "goatee"  beard,  long  hair, 
and  a  curled-up  slouch  hat ;  and  he  must  begin  nearly 
every  sentence  with  the  words:  "Say,  stranger!" 

As  an  illustration,  the  following  will  give  an  idea  of 
what  such  a  Yankee  is  expected  to  say  on  his  opening 
a  conversation  with  a  Briton  : — "Say,  stranger!  have 
you  seen  a  yaller  dog,  with  a  tail  an  inch,  an  inch  and 
a  half,  or  two  inches  long,  about  a  mile,  a  mile  and  a 
half,  or  two  miles  off?"  Needless  to  say,  an 
American  is  able  to  conduct  a  conversation,  even 
with  an  unknown  person,  without  beginning  with : 
"  Say,  stranger !  " 

The  nearest  approach  to  a  real  American  character 
in  a  play  that  I  have  seen  produced  in  London  was 

2OI 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

called  "The  Colonel,"  and  the  title  role  was  played 
by  Charles  Coghlan.  He  had  the  correct  American 
accent  without  exaggeration.  In  this  connection 
I  may  say  that  Mr  Buckstone,  when  playing  the 
part  of  Asa  Trenchard  in  "Our  American  Cousin" 
— a  character  created  by  Joseph  Jefferson — accent- 
uated his  words  so  that  it  was  in  no  way 
creditable  to  the  fine  acting  of  that  distinguished 
actor.  There  are  some  Americans  who  become 
offended  if  you  tell  them  they  have  an  accent  and 
speak  in  some  degree  with  a  nasal  sound  ;  but  to  deny 
the  imputation  is  to  prove  ignorance  of  the  chief 
characteristic  of  their  native  country.  Why  should 
not  an  American  be  satisfied  with  his  accent  in  the 
same  way  as  is  a  Briton,  a  Frenchman,  a  German, 
or  any  other  foreigner  ?  I  have  had  persons  complain 
to  me,  that,  on  going  into  shops  in  Regent  Street 
and  in  the  Strand,  assistants  serving  had  given  them 
a  price  in  dollars,  and  asked  them  if  they  had  any- 
thing cheaper  in  New  York.  On  their  asking  how 
they  knew  they  were  from  New  York,  the  answer 
was  :  "  By  your  accent,"  and  they  appealed  to  me  to 
know  in  what  way  their  voice  was  different  from  the 
native-born  English. 

I  have  never  been  mistaken  for  an  Englishman  in 
England,  though  I  have  resided  here  thirty-eight 
years,  but  on  my  visits  to  the  United  States  I  have 
invariably  been  taken  for  an  Englishman  by  persons 
who  did  not  know  the  contrary,  and  I  did  not  think 
this  an  offence  in  either  case. 

An  American  lady  told  an  assistant  in  a  Regent 


202 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Street  shop  after  making  a  purchase  :  "I  want  the 
goods  sent  right  on  now "  ;  whereupon  the  assistant 
laughed.  The  lady,  always  ready  for  an  argument, 
asked  why  she  laughed  ;  and  an  amusing  discussion 
ensued  upon  the  proper  pronunciation  of  the  word 
"now,"  the  assistant  courteously  insisting  that  the 
American  lady  had  said  "  neouw" — a  word  not  unlike 
that  which  describes  the  musical  note  of  a  cat's 
"meow." 

The  city  of  Paris  is  pronounced  very  differently  by  a 
Frenchman  and  an  Englishman.  An  American  simply 
cannot  say  "Paris"  with  a  French  accent.  Another 
phrase  by  which  an  American  is  at  once  detected  is 
that  of  "  Hurry  up,"  instead  of  "At  once,"  or  "  Make 
haste."  An  American  lady  says:  "What  do  you 
want  for  that  gold  watch  ? "  An  English  lady  would 
say:  "How  much?"  or  "What  is  the  price?" 

Finally,  we  come  to  the  word  "guess,"  which  no 
American  can  give  up  and  no  Englishman  ever 
adopt. 

The  phrase  "Having  a  good  time"  is  totally 
different  in  meaning  from  the  standpoint  of  America 
and  England.  In  America  the  phrase  usually  sug- 
gests a  large  party,  and  as  many  practical  jokes  as 
possible  introduced  :  they  do  not  invariably  think  that 
a  courteous  and  quiet  time  can  be  "  A  good  time." 


203 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Social  Amenities  in  American  Clubs — Jonathan  a  Man  of  Business — The 
Fashion  in  Vehicles — English  in  Clothes,  Walking-sticks,  Um- 
brellas, and  Hats — Liveries  creeping  in — Dust-bins — Tomatoes 
on  the  Table— "  Chicken  Food  "—Renting  Houses— Public  Un- 
dertakings— What  John  Bull  owes  to  Jonathan — The  Toast  Master 
— The  Seasons. 

IN  previous  chapters  I  have  referred  to  a  few  points 
of  difference  between  the  domestic  and  social  ameni- 
ties of  life  in  New  York  and  London  ;  these  I  now 
propose  to  go  into  more  fully,  and  with  the  utmost 
fairness  to  Jonathan  and  to  John  Bull.  Social  points 
do  not  vary  considerably  in  the  two  cities.  Invita- 
tions to  lunch,  to  dinner,  and  to  week-end  visits  are 
amongst  the  first  courtesies  and  civilities  offered  to 
strangers  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  Club  life  in 
both  cities  is  practically  the  same,  though  the  condi- 
tions of  life  cause  very  considerable  variations  in  club 
rules  and  regulations.  In  New  York  a  member  of  a 
club  may  invite  a  stranger  to  make  use  of  his  club  for 
a  fortnight,  and  enjoy  all  the  privileges  of  a  member, 
paying  for  wrhat  he  may  require,  and  having  access  to 
every  department  of  the  club  ;  whereas  in  London  one 
cannot  return  or  reciprocate  this  advantage,  not  but 
that  the  members  would  wish  to  do  so,  but  in  London 
with  a  club  of  large  membership,  and  a  large  usage 
of  such  privileges,  a  club  would  be  unworkable.  In 
New  York,  Americans  do  not  use  clubs  to  the  same 

204 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

extent  as  gentlemen  do  in  London,  because  there  are 
not  so  many  men  of  leisure  who  can  spare  time  to 
read  the  papers,  meet  their  friends,  or  conduct  their 
correspondence  in  a  club.  In  other  words,  Americans 
are  first  of  all  men  of  business  ;  and  a  club  is  regarded 
as  an  indulgence  and  a  recreation. 

One  of  the  first  things  which  happens  to  a  stranger 
on  his  arrival  in  New  York,  after  delivering  his 
letters  of  introduction,  is  to  get  put  up  at  a  club. 
If  the  club  privileges  are  desired  for  more  than  two 
weeks  there  is  no  difficulty  in  getting  another  member 
of  the  club  to  renew  the  nomination  for  a  further  time. 

The  last  time  I  visited  New  York,  during  the  first 
three  days,  I  had  cards  of  invitation  to  no  less  than 
five  clubs  —  the  "Union  League,"  the  "  New  York 
Yacht  Club,"  the  "New  York  Club,"  the  "Univer- 
sity Club,"  the  "Metropolitan  Club,"  and  the  "Play- 
goers' Club."  Any  one  of  these  I  could  use  as 
freely  as  the  clubs  to  which  I  belong  in  London, 
and  I  could,  moreover,  even  invite  a  friend  to  lunch, 
or  dine  with  me. 

The  American  revisiting  his  country,  after  a  sojourn 
of  several  years  in  London,  will  immediately  notice 
a  marked  improvement  in  the  character  of  the  public 
buildings.  But  this  is  not  all ;  in  the  conveniences 
and  attributes  of  private  and  social  life  he  will  mark 
many  advances  and  improvements.  The  American 
one-horse  buggy,  and  trotting  buggy,  so  valued  for 
driving  in  Central  Park,  look  like  mere  toys,  and 
the  very  reverse  of  a  comfortable  vehicle  to  drive 
in.  But  there  are  now  to  be  seen  substantial-look- 

205 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

ing  private  carriages  and  dog  -  carts,  landaus  and 
broughams,  which  are  nearly  all  either  imported  from 
England,  or  built  on  English  models.  And  the  follow- 
ing of  English  fashions  does  not  end  with  the  private 
vehicles  now  in  daily  use ;  the  clothes  worn,  the 
hat,  the  walking-stick,  and  the  umbrella  are  invari- 
ably, amongst  the  well  -  to  -  do  classes,  English,  or 
copied  from  English  patterns. 

At  the  same  time,  the  English  visitor  cannot  fail 
to  notice  that  the  carriages  and  other  vehicles  in 
daily  use  are  not  turned  out  with  the  smartness  which 
is  customary  in  London.  A  wash-up  three  times  a 
week  would  be  as  often  as  the  ordinary  coachman 
would  give  his  carriage.  There  are  exceptions,  how- 
ever, but  they  are  always  in  the  case  of  very  smart 
people,  who  employ  English  coachmen  and  grooms. 
Neither  are  the  public  omnibuses  and  cars,  which 
are  in  constant  use,  washed  daily,  as  in  London.  In 
country  places  this  absence  of  washing  is  more 
noticeable  than  in  the  cities. 

Country  people  are  rarely  found  who  will  take  the 
trouble  to  have  their  vehicles  washed  daily,  and  kept 
smart  and  clean.  The  condition  of  the  roads  has,  no 
doubt,  a  great  deal  to  do  with  this.  In  the  spring 
and  autumn  of  the  year,  the  mud  is  so  deep  and  sticky 
that  owners  of  vehicles  appear  to  get  no  satisfaction, 
or  reward  for  frequently  washing  up.  As  a  boy,  when 
on  the  farm,  the  " carry-all"  which  was  used  to  take 
all  the  family  to  church  on  Sunday  was  never  washed 
more  than  twice  during  the  season,  and  such  a  thing 
as  oiling  or  polishing  the  harness  was  never  heard  of — 

206 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  I  noticed  that  the  same  practice  prevailed  on  my 
last  visit,  three  years  ago. 

In  1867  liveries  for  male  servants — coachmen  and 
grooms — were  the  exception  ;  now  the  practice  is 
general.  White  male  servants  within  the  house  is 
the  universal  rule  amongst  the  wealthy,  but  previously 
the  male  servants  were  usually  negroes.  In  the 
houses  in  New  York  where  I  visited  white  servants 
were  always  to  be  seen,  and  liveries  were  as  smart 
and  up  to  date  as  in  London. 

Much  has  been  said  by  English  visitors  against 
the  abominable  habit  of  placing  the  dust -bins  on 
the  footway.  Every  house,  even  in  the  most  fash- 
ionable streets,  is  required  to  place  the  dust  and 
house  refuse  in  some  kind  of  receptacle  on  the  foot- 
path, and  these  vary  in  character  from  a  closed  bin 
to  an  open  flour  barrel,  to  be  emptied  into  dust-carts, 
which  collect  the  refuse  in  the  morning  between  the 
hours  of  eight  and  ten.  One  can  imagine  the 
nuisance  created  on  a  windy  day  ;  but  on  all  other 
days  this  lining  of  the  footways  with  dust  receptacles 
is  a  disgrace  to  the  city.  The  carts  are  not  covered 
over,  and,  as  the  coal  universally  used  in  New  York 
produces  an  enormous  white  ash,  this  is  caught  up 
by  the  air  as  each  dust- box  is  emptied  into  the  cart, 
and  blown  over  the  street  in  every  direction.  The 
London  system  of  closed  dust-bins  and  covered  dust- 
carts could  very  easily  be  adopted  in  New  York ;  but 
to  the  present  day  the  filthy  open  boxes  and  open 
carts  are  to  be  seen,  even  in  the  best  residential  streets 
of  the  city. 

207 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Everyone  has  heard  of  American  sweets,  and 
almost  the  first  inquiry  of  a  visitor  from  the  States 
is  for  a  candy  shop ;  their  contempt  for  what  are 
called  English  sweets  can  only  be  expressed  in  strong 
language.  For  the  last  twenty  years,  however,  the 
American  taste  has  been  met  by  their  own  country- 
men, who  have  established  depots  for  the  sale  of 
every  description  of  American  candy,  and  in  several 
cases  have  extended  their  stores  to  the  supply  of 
other  American  dainties.  Candy,  I  may  mention,  is 
the  generic  term  for  all  kinds  of  candy-sugar  sweets. 
The  products  in  England,  as  apart  from  sweets,  would 
be  served  with  dessert. 

When  I  first  came  to  England  the  vegetable  known 
as  the  tomato  was  only  regarded  as  a  prolific  vine,  and 
I  have  seen  such  vines  used  as  a  centrepiece  for  the 
dining-table.  The  use  of  the  tomato  as  a  vegetable 
is  entirely  an  American  innovation,  and,  I  am  happy 
to  say,  as  popular  now  in  this  country  as  the  United 
States.  Soon  after  my  arrival  in  England  I  spent 
a  week-end  at  a  gentleman's  seat  in  Kent,  and  in 
walking  through  his  garden  saw,  to  my  delight,  some 
fine  tomatoes  growing.  I  said :  "I  should  like  to 
have  some  for  dinner,  as  I  have  never  seen  them  put 
on  the  table  in  England  as  a  food."  My  host  ex- 
pressed surprise  that  anyone  could  eat  such  veget- 
ables, but  he  said  that  some  of  them  should  be 
served  at  dinner.  When  we  sat  down  to  that  meal 
I  noticed  that  a  covered  dish  had  been  placed  in 
front  of  me,  which,  upon  examination,  proved  to  be 
two  large  tomatoes — but  they  had  been  boiled,  and 

208 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

were,  therefore,  not  eatable.  Tomatoes  in  the  States 
are  sliced,  and  eaten  cold,  grilled,  or  sliced  up  and 
stewed  with  bread  crumbs.  English  cooks,  I  am 
glad  to  say,  have  since  learned  all  these  methods  of 
preparing  the  tomato  for  table. 

English  people  have  also  become  very  partial  to 
many  American  cereal  foods,  and  I  believe  that  there 
is  more  oatmeal  from  the  States  consumed  in  England 
than  there  is  of  Scotch.  Quaker  Oats  is  now  a 
standard  oatmeal  in  Great  Britain. 

Canned  corn  and  beans  are  also  popular  here, 
though  when  they  were  first  placed  on  my  own  table 
I  could  hardly  persuade  an  English  friend  even  to 
taste  them  ;  while  the  servants  dubbed  them  "  chicken 
food,"  and  utterly  refused  to  eat  them.  At  the 
present  time  they  have  been  converted  to  their  use 
— even  to  an  extravagant  extent,  if  they  get  the 
chance. 

The  cold  storage  system  has  enabled  a  vast  pro- 
>rtion  of  the  population  in   London  to  be  supplied 
fruits  from  California ;  and  the  supplies  of  beef 
id   mutton  are   looked   for,   with    the  regularity   of 
lelivery  from  the  home  counties. 

An  American  coming  to  London  to  settle  is  rather 
staggered  to  find  that  if  he  wishes  to  take  an  unfur- 
lished  house,  either  in  town  or  country,  he  cannot  get 
>ne  by  the  month  or  year ;  he  is  expected  to  hire 
>y  lease  of  seven,  fourteen,  or  twenty -one  years, 
tnd  to  assume  all  responsibility  for  decorations,  re- 
iirs,  rates,  and  taxes  ;  whereas  a  furnished  house, 
tpartments,  or  flats  may  be  rented  by  the  week, 
o  209 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

The  fact  is  important  to  remember  that,  unlike  the 
process  in  the  States,  there  is  no  summary  process  by 
which  to  dispossess  a  tenant  at  short  notice.  In  New 
York,  where  rents  are  payable  every  month  or  quarter 
in  advance,  a  tenant  can  be  dispossessed  in  three 
days,  and  the  contents  of  the  house  put  on  the  foot- 
way if  the  rent  is  not  paid  ;  but  the  landlord  can- 
not hold  the  furniture  for  his  rent.  In  England, 
however,  a  tenant  having  a  lease,  if  he  be  obstinate, 
and  has  recourse  to  all  the  tricks  of  law,  can  hold 
on  without  paying  any  rent  for  full  twelve  months. 
Therefore  a  landlord,  before  granting  a  lease,  will 
insist  upon  having  very  satisfactory  references  as  to 
ability  to  pay,  and  he  has  a  legal  lien  upon  the  furni- 
ture if  the  rent  is  not  paid,  as  well  as  rates  and  taxes. 

A  freehold  property  in  the  most  eligible  and  fashion- 
able part  of  London  can  hardly  be  found.  Nearly 
the  whole  of  the  west  end  is  held  by  ground  landlords, 
and  upon  leases  varying  from  99  to  999  years — the 
former  term  being  the  usual  rule.  Quite  recently,  on 
the  Westminster  and  Bedford  estates,  a  large  number 
of  leases  for  the  term  of  ninety-nine  years  have  fallen  in. 

The  statement  is  generally  believed  that  when 
this  property  falls  into  the  lap  of  the  landowners  they 
are  never  unreasonable  in  the  matter  of  renewing 
the  leases,  though,  as  a  matter  of  course,  after  a  period 
of  ninety-nine  years,  the  property  must  have  greatly 
increased  in  value. 

Freeholds  in  the  city  of  London  are  equally  difficult 
to  get  hold  of  upon  lease. 

The    gas   and   water    supplies    are    controlled    by 

2IO 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

private  companies  in  England,  and  the  monopoly 
has  become  of  enormous  value  to  the  original 
shareholders.  An  effort  is  now  being  made  in 
London  to  acquire  the  water  supply,  and  this  will 
probably  be  accomplished  by  a  public  trust. 

In  1867  the  Telegraphs  in  Great  Britain  were  in 
the  hands  of  private  companies,  and  were  not  taken 
over  by  the  Post  Office  until  1870.  The  Post  Office 
authorities  immediately  reduced  the  rates  to  a  uniform 
charge  of  is.  for  twelve  words,  including  the  address. 
This  charge  was  shortly  after  reduced  to  6d. 

The  Telegraph  service  in  England  is  now  justly  re- 
garded as  being  as  nearly  perfect  as  such  an  institution 
can  possibly  be  made  ;  and  even  in  rural  districts,  with 
the  arrangement  for  prepaid  replies,  the  system  is 
altogether  in  advance  of  America. 

The  telephone  was  first  introduced  into  England 
by  private  companies  in  1880.  At  the  present 
time  the  Government  and  the  National  Telephone 
Company  work  together  upon  an  equitable  basis,  and 
adopt  the  same  rate  of  traffic.  Americans  complain 
that  the  London  telephone  service  is  not  to  be  com- 
pared with  that  of  New  York :  with  this  opinion, 
having  tested  both  systems,  I  quite  agree.  The 
chief  difference  consists  in  the  fact  that  in  the  States 
the  clerks  put  you  on  the  exchange  with  a  subscriber 
more  quickly  than  in  England  ;  but  telegraphy  in 
England  is  far  more  complete  and  rapid. 

The  American  system  of  District  Messengers  was 
first  of  all  Jonathan's  invention,  and  was  transplanted 
to  London  very  successfully  in  1894;  but  progress  is 

211 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

handicapped  by  having  to  pay  a  royalty  to  the 
Government  through  the  Post  Office  department. 

In  1888  a  theatrical  friend  of  mine  in  New  York, 
wishing  to  show  me  how  swift  the  service  was,  sent 
a  messenger  boy  to  me  in  London  to  deliver  a  letter 
and  bring  back  an  answer ;  and,  with  instructions  to 
"make  time,"  the  boy  left  the  ship  at  Queenstown, 
and  travelled  with  the  mails  overland,  and  returned 
in  the  same  way,  only  spending  about  six  hours  in 
London,  and  the  messenger  accomplished  the  double 
journey,  as  nearly  as  I  remember,  in  seventeen  days. 
As  a  souvenir  of  this  trip,  I  had  the  boy  photographed 
in  front  of  my  business  premises. 

This  long  distance  messenger  service  has  since 
been  frequently  utilised  by  merchants  and  others, 
having  personal  delivery  made  in  the  United  States — 
messengers  being  despatched  from  London  to  New 
York,  Chicago,  San  Francisco,  and  other  cities  with 
the  most  complete  success. 

Englishmen,  on  first  visiting  the  Empire  City  of 
the  United  States,  which  is  built  upon  an  island  with 
a  river  on  either  side,  have  remarked  the  strangeness 
of  the  fact  that  there  should  not  be  a  passenger  steam- 
boat service  round  Manhattan  Island — something  after 
the  character  of  the  Thames  Steamboat  Service — calling 
at  various  piers  on  the  north  and  east  rivers.  I  can 
only  suggest  that  the  lack  of  this  accommodation 
arises  from  the  circumstance  that  the  waterside  is 
in  most  instances  too  far  removed  from  residential 
centres  ;  and  would  on  that  account  necessitate  the 
use  of  omnibuses  or  tramcars  to  reach  one's  destina- 


212 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

tion,  and  the  steamboat  would  not,  therefore,  be  more 
economical  of  time. 

The  streets  of  New  York  being  built  at  right 
angles  to  one  another,  every  great  thoroughfare  has 
a  tram  service  north,  south,  east  and  west,  and  the 
greatest  saving  of  time  is  attained  by  using  this 
method  of  transit. 

Pleasure  steamers  of  immense  size  ply  on  the  north 
and  east  rivers  and  Long  Island  Sand,  so  that  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  getting  full  views  of  New  York 
and  the  harbour  from  these  steamers.  Ferry-boats 
are  employed  to  cross  from  New  York  to  New  Jersey 
shore  on  the  north  river,  and  to  Brooklyn  and 
Williamsburgh  on  the  east  river. 

Then,  again,  there  is  Brooklyn  Bridge  to  facilitate 
the  traffic.  This  bridge  is  justly  regarded  as  one 
of  the  great  engineering  achievements  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  and,  when  completed,  people  imagined 
that  the  traffic  by  the  ferry-boats  would  cease  ;  but 
this  has  not  turned  out  to  be  the  case,  as  the  ferry- 
boats continue  to  be  well  patronised,  and  with  the 
opening  of  the  Bridge  an  enormous  population  has 
been  brought  from  New  York  to  Brooklyn.  So 
much  is  this  the  case  that  Brooklyn  is  now  frequently 
called  the  "  Dormitory  of  New  York."  Rents,  though 
considerable  enough,  are  cheaper  in  Brooklyn  than 
in  New  York,  which  is,  no  doubt,  one  cause  of  the 
exodus,  but  in  many  parts  of  the  former  city  the  air 
is  more  pure  than  in  the  older  city. 

Speaking  of  Brooklyn,  in  the  days  of  his  greatest 
popularity  Henry  Ward  Beecher  not  only  preached 

213 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

at  Plymouth  Church,  Brooklyn,  but  resided  also  in 
that  delightful  suburb ;  and  the  story  is  current  that 
if  the  boat  had  started  from  either  side,  and  the  pilot 
saw  Ward  Beecher  approaching,  he  would  reverse 
the  engines,  and  return  to  the  pier  for  him — and  such 
was  the  general  respect  in  which  he  was  held  that 
no  passenger  ever  raised  his  voice  in  protest  against 
the  delay.  These  American  ferry-boats  are  very 
extraordinary  vessels,  being  very  broad,  and  having 
flat  bottoms,  and  are  capable  of  accommodating  on 
board  the  largest  vehicles  which  are  seen  in  the 
streets.  The  ladies'  cabin  and  the  gentlemen's  cabin 
are  so  distinguished  by  signboards  ;  but,  as  a  matter 
of  practice,  all  men  frequent  the  ladies'  cabin,  and 
the  only  gentlemen  who  venture  into  their  specially 
allotted  cabin  are  those  who  wish  to  smoke.  But  if  a 
lady  presents  herself  in  the  ladies'  cabin  when  full  the 
nearest  gentleman  will  always  give  up  his  seat  to  her. 
American  public  dinners  do  not  differ  from  the 
character  of  those  in  England  except  in  one  particular, 
the  office  of  Toast-master.  This  functionary  is  always 
a  great  surprise,  and  the  cause  of  much  amusement, 
to  Americans  in  London,  when  they  hear  his  voice 
for  the  first  time  at  a  public  dinner.  In  the  United 
States  the  chairman  who  presides  at  the  banquet 
acts  as  his  own  toast-master  ;  but  I  am  bound  to  admit 
that  a  toast-master  is  of  great  assistance  to  the 
chairman,  regulating  the  progress  of  the  feast,  giving 
the  chairman  opportunity  for  conversing  with  his 
friends,  and  preparing  the  company  for  his  reception 
when  he  rises  to  speak. 

214 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

At  a  civic  banquet  in  the  Egyptian  Hall  of  the 
Mansion  House,  usually  a  private  affair  given  by 
the  Lord  Mayor,  or  at  one  held  in  the  Guildhall, 
which  is  always  official,  the  Toast-master  always 
appears ;  and  amongst  other  quaint  ceremonies  is  the 
passing  round  of  the  "  Loving  Cup"  after  the  Lord 
Mayor  has  first  of  all  drunk  to  the  company. 

The  dinners  given  by  the  various  City  Companies 
are  almost  invariably  held  in  their  own  halls,  many  of 
which  are  remarkably  handsome  chambers,  and  in 
the  matter  of  entertainment  nothing  could  be  more 
lavishly  hospitable.  Several  of  the  chief  Companies 
give  to  each  guest  souvenirs,  which  take  the  form 
usually  of  the  particular  "  trade "  after  which  the 
company  is  named.  In  this  way  cloth  is  distributed, 
elegant  boxes  filled  with  choice  sweets,  packets  of 
playing-cards,  needles,  and  gold  and  silver  articles. 
On  the  occasion  of  the  presentation  of  the  freedom 
of  the  Playing-Card  Makers  Co.  to  Andrew  Carnegie 
this  year,  he  was  presented  with  a  collection  of 
playing-cards  from  the  earliest  times  to  the  present  in 
a  magnificent  casket,  and  each  guest  received  two 
packets  of  playing-cards  of  a  special  design.  As  a 
curious  fact,  I  may  mention  that  only  in  a  few  ex- 
ceptional instances  do  the  members  of  the  Company 
follow  the  trade  from  which  the  Company  is  named. 
The  sums  of  money  at  the  disposal  of  these  com- 
panies are  known  to  be  large,  but  no  statements  of 
account  are  ever  issued  to  the  public.  The  property 
chiefly  consists  of  land  in  the  city  bequeathed  by 
members  in  past  times,  which  has  now  become  of 

215 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

immense  value.  Lavish  as  they  are  in  their  hospi- 
tality the  companies  are  not  less  generous  in  their 
gifts,  and  of  late  years  they  have  spent  many 
thousands  of  pounds  in  the  cause  of  education,  and 
in  aid  of  hospitals,  in  the  support  of  technical  schools, 
and  in  teaching  the  rudiments  of  important  trades 
in  a  scientific  manner — thus  reviving  the  first  cause 
of  their  existence  in  ages  gone  by. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  banquets  I  have  at- 
tended in  London  was  that  given  in  1874  by  my 
cousin,  Cyrus  W.  Field  at  the  "  Star  and  Garter," 
Richmond,  in  celebration  of  an  anniversary  in  connec- 
tion with  the  laying  of  the  Atlantic  Cable.  The  ban- 
quet was  honoured  with  the  presence  of  many  of  those 
most  interested  in  Telegraphy,  from  all  parts  of 
Europe  and  America.  Mr  Field  was  fortunate  also  in 
being  able  to  include  among  his  guests  Lord  Kelvin 
and  Sir  John  Fender,  Members  of  the  Parent  Anglo- 
American  Cable  Company ;  also  Captain  Anderson, 
who  commanded  the  Great  Eastern,  the  ship  which 
carried  and  paid  out  the  Cable.  The  great  feature 
of  the  evening  was  the  exchange  of  Cable  Messages, 
despatched  and  received  at  the  table,  from  every 
part  of  the  world.  Proper  electrical  instruments  and 
connecting  wires  were  fitted  up  at  a  table  beside 
the  host. 

Soon  after  the  completion  of  the  Atlantic  Cable 
in  1866,  when  Her  Majesty  conferred  the  honour  of 
a  baronetcy  upon  Mr  Curtis  Lamson  and  Mr  Daniel 
Gooch,  Directors  of  the  Anglo  Cable  Company ;  and 
knighthood  upon  Professor  Thompson,  the  distin- 

216 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

guished  scientist ;  and  Captain  Anderson,  commander 
of  the  Great  Eastern,  Lord  Derby  informed  the 
chairman  of  the  Company  that  the  name  of  Mr 
Cyrus  Field  was  omitted  in  the  distribution  of 
honours  solely  because  it  might  appear  that  it 
encroached  upon  the  province  of  his  own  govern- 
ment, and  he  would  feel  himself  unable  to  accept. 

The  use  of  the  Cable  for  news — private  messages 
and  commercial  purposes  between  Great  Britain  and 
the  United  States — soon  enabled  the  Company  to 
revise  their  tariff  charges.  In  the  year  1867  the 
minimum  cost  of  a  cable  message  was  £10  for 
five  words,  including  the  address.  Since  that  period 
the  cost  was  once  reduced  to  6d.  per  word,  but  at 
the  present  time  the  charge  is  is.  per  word  to 
New  York. 

Having  briefly  outlined  many  of  the  different 
methods  of  accomplishing  the  same  object  practised 
in  New  York  and  London,  let  me  now  briefly  sum- 
marise what  Jonathan  has  done  for  John  in  the 
amelioration  of  the  daily  life  of  the  people,  in  aid 
of  labour,  by  invention  of  appliances ;  and  in  the 
saving  of  time  and  trouble  in  divers  ways.  I  chronicle 
these  lest  London  may  forget. 

These  include  many  agricultural  implements  which 
greatly  diminish  the  labour  of  the  field ;  printing 
presses  and  methods  of  preparing  type  ;  tramways, 
which  facilitate  locomotion ;  air  brakes ;  messenger 
boys  ;  typewriting  machines  for  the  educated  ;  sew- 
ing machines  for  mothers  and  daughters  ;  safe  deposit 
banks  ;  cheap  clocks  and  keyless  watches  ;  Yale  locks  ; 

217 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

cash  registers ;  canned  goods  of  all  kinds  ;  scientific 
dentistry;  the  electric  light  telephone,  gramophone, 
and  kodak  which  gives  an  additional  charm  to 
travellers  abroad,  and  to  stay-at-homes  with  their 
families.  In  one  respect  Jonathan  has  made  a  failure 
— he  has  not  been  able  to  convince  John  of  the 
merits  of  rye  whisky,  and  when  Jonathan's  sons 
come  to  England  they  are  not  long  in  discovering 
the  greater  merits  of  English,  Irish,  and  Scotch 
whiskies.  In  the  cases  recited  Jonathan  has  done 
a  goodly  work,  and  John  by  adopting  his  inventions 
acknowledges  his  obligation  in  a  patriotic  manner. 

With  regard  to  the  observance  of  the  fashionable 
season  in  England  and  the  States  there  is  a  great 
difference  of  time.  In  America  families  remain  at 
home  from  the  end  of  October  to  the  middle  of 
January,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  that  month  they 
begin  to  repair  to  the  Southern  States,  Florida,  and 
North  Carolina.  Many  also  go  to  the  Bahama  and 
Bermuda  Islands,  returning  home  at  Easter. 

In  London  the  season  begins  in  May,  and  goes 
on  to  July,  when  the  end  arrives  with  the  close  of 
racing ;  and  the  difference  of  climate  is,  no  doubt,  the 
cause  of  the  change  in  these  periods  on  the  two  sides 
of  the  Atlantic.  The  race  meetings  in  England  are 
far  more  fashionable  functions  than  in  the  United 
States.  There  are  no  races  in  America  which  can 
compare  with  Ascot  or  Goodwood,  as  an  occasion 
for  the  assembling  of  the  fashionable  world  ;  while 
the  Derby  has  lost  none  of  the  popularity  always 
characteristic  of  the  day — but  then  the  concourse 

218 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

which  assembles  is  not  a  fashionable  one.  Other 
attractive  movements  are  the  Grand  National  Steeple 
Chases  at  Liverpool,  the  St  Leger  at  Doncaster, 
and  the  chief  races  at  Newmarket.  All  these  have 
neither  lost  their  distinction  nor  their  interest  during 
the  past  century.  I  have  been  present  at  one  time 
or  another  with  American  friends,  at  each  of  these 
functions. 

In  the  United  States  I  do  not  think  there  is  any 
sporting  event  which  can  compare  in  public  interest 
with  the  Oxford  and  Cambridge  boat  race,  Henley 
Regatta,  or  the  array  and  fashion  gathered  together 
at  a  university  cricket  match,  or  at  the  university 
sports.  The  Eton  and  Harrow  cricket  match  at 
Lords,  which  lasts  two  days,  will  attract  20,000 
spectators  each  day,  composed  of  the  most  fashion- 
able folks  from  all  parts  of  England,  and  tradition 
seems  to  require  that  even  old  Etonians  and 
Harrorians  should  put  in  an  appearance. 


219 


CHAPTER  XV 

Popularity  of  Americans  in  England— Episcopacy  in  the  States — National 
Distinctions — Prince  of  Wales'  Visit — American  Public  Men  in 
England— Story  of  Mark  Twain — The  East-Enders  of  New  York — 
Relief  of  the  Poor  and  the  Sick— "Wake  up,  England"— Mail- 
carrying,  Old  and  New — The  Pony  Express — Sunday  Observ- 
ances. 

THE  question  has  often  been  asked  me  whether 
Americans  are  popular  in  England,  and  my  answer 
to-day  is  quite  different  from  that  which  I  should 
have  made  in  1867-1870.  I  do  certainly  consider 
that  Americans  have  won  their  way  to  exceeding 
popularity  amongst  the  English  people,  and  there 
is  no  social  function  of  distinction  or  privilege  at 
which  they  would  not  be  welcome  guests. 

No  American  would  fail  to  appreciate  the  dis- 
tinctions between  classes  which  exist  in  England, 
though  they  may  wonder  sometimes  at  their  exist- 
ence. Take,  for  instance,  the  respective  positions 
held  by  the  clergy  of  the  Church  of  England  and 
by  ministers  of  all  other  denominations.  A  Non- 
conformist minister,  of  the  highest  standing  and 
the  greatest  reputation,  would  not  at  any  public 
function  be  allowed  to  take  precedence  of  a  curate 
of  the  Church  of  England.  There  being  no  Es- 
tablished Church  in  the  United  States,  a  Noncon- 
formist minister  is  regarded  as  occupying  exactly  the 


220 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

same  social  position,  and  as  being  of  equal  standing 
in  every  respect,  as  a  clergyman  of  the  Episcopalian 
Church,  where  the  worship  and  ritual  correspond 
to  that  of  the  Established  Church  of  England.  I 
am  bound  to  admit,  however,  so  far  as  the  question 
of  fashion  in  religion  is  concerned,  that  the  Episco- 
palians in  the  States,  so  far  as  they  can,  do  regard 
themselves  as  a  little  better  than  their  Baptist  or 
Methodist  neighbours. 

For  instance,  as  an  illustration,  let  me  say  that 
a  man  like  Mr  Rockfeller,  who  is  a  Methodist  and  a 
great  capitalist  (who  has  contributed  thousands  to 
establishing  Methodist  institutions  and  the  building 
of  churches),  would  not  be  invited  to  take  part  in 
an  assembly  of  Episcopalians  where  bishops,  deans, 
and  canons  would  be  present 

In  England,  however,  at  the  greatest  of  Court 
functions,  like  the  presentation  to  the  King  and 
Queen,  an  American  of  good  social  position  would 
be  admitted  after  he  has  gone  through  the  pre- 
scribed regulations  which  are  customary  on  such 
an  occasion. 

American  ladies  are  very  much  to  the  fore  in  Eng- 
land in  the  matter  of  hospitable  entertainments,  and 
take  a  leading  part  in  charitable  organisations,  quite 
apart  from  what  is  done  by  those  who  have  married 
into  the  aristocracy.  Anglo  -  American  marriages 
have  ceased  to  cause  any  especial  excitement ;  they 
occur  daily — chiefly  among  the  titled  and  professional 
classes. 

221 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

The  essential  differences  existing  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States  lie  in  the  funda- 
mental characteristics  of  the  two  nations.  In  America 
titles  for  individuals  do  not  exist,  and,  therefore,  there 
are  no  privileged  classes.  Nor  are  there  any  corpora- 
tions in  the  English  sense  of  that  term.  Wanting  a 
landed  aristocracy,  beggary  is  very  limited.  Having 
no  endowed  Church,  religious  rivalries  and  jealousies 
have  no  existence,  and  the  government  of  the  States 
is  cheap  and  efficient.  By  the  universality  of  educa- 
tion, self-respect  is  discoverable  in  the  humblest 
classes,  and  all  alike  are  animated  with  a  boundless 
spirit  of  enterprise. 

The  King,  when  Prince  of  Wales,  paid  a  visit  to 
the  States  in  1860,  at  which  time  I  was  in  my  first 
situation  in  New  York,  and  a  general  holiday  was 
given  upon  the  day  of  his  reception,  which  I  per- 
fectly well  remember,  even  to  the  spot  I  occupied 
on  the  footway  in  Broadway.  The  royal  cavalcade 
went  along  the  Fifth  Avenue  to  the  great  hotel  set 
apart  for  his  use  and  that  of  his  suite. 

When  the  Prince  was  about  to  leave  England 
the  fact  of  a  visit  to  Washington,  the  capital  of 
the  United  States,  was  not  settled ;  but  in  order 
to  secure  the  Prince,  President  Buchanan,  who 
in  1853  had  been  United  States  Minister  to  Great 
Britain,  wrote  a  private  letter  to  the  late  Queen, 
asking  that  the  Prince  might  pay  a  visit  to  White 
House,  and  the  following  was  Queen  Victoria's 
reply  :— 

222 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

BUCKINGHAM  PALACE, 

22nd  June  1860. 
To  PRESIDENT  BUCHANAN. 

MY  GOOD  FRIEND, 

I  have  been  much  gratified  by  the  feelings  which  prompted 
you  to  write  to  me  inviting  the  Prince  of  Wales  to  go  to  Washington. 
He  intends  to  return  from  Canada  through  the  United  States,  and  it  will 
give  him  great  pleasure  to  have  the  opportunity  of  testifying  to  you  in 
person  that  your  feelings  are  fully  reciprocated  by  him.  He  will  thus 
be  able  at  the  same  time  to  mark  the  respect  which  he  entertains  for  the 
Chief  Magistrate  of  a  great  and  powerful  State  and  kindred  nation.  The 
Prince  of  Wales  will  drop  all  royal  state  on  leaving  my  dominions,  and 
travel  under  the  name  of  Lord  Renfrew,  as  he  has  done  when  travelling 
on  the  continent  of  Europe.  The  Prince  Consort  wishes  to  be  kindly 
remembered  to  you. 

I  remain, 

Your  very  good  friend, 

VICTORIA  R. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  Prince's  visit  I  remember 
that  the  streets  were  magnificently  decorated,  and  a 
grand  public  reception  was  given  to  him,  while  the 
most  enthusiastic  expressions  of  welcome  were  shouted 
by  everyone  in  his  honour.  At  that  time — he  was 
only  in  his  nineteenth  year  —  he  was  a  beardless 
youth.  He  drove  about  New  York  in  an  open 
carriage,  without  escort  of  any  kind,  and  in  a  second 
carriage  were  the  chief  members  of  his  suite.  With 
the  Prince  there  rode,  the  British  Ambassador  to  the 
States,  and  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  who  attended 
him  from  England.  He  very  graciously  accepted 
invitations  to  private  receptions  and  balls,  and  there 
are  numbers  of  ladies  now  living  in  the  States 
whose  chief  claim  to  distinction  arises  from  the  fact 
that  they  danced  with  the  Prince  of  Wales,  on 

223 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

his  visit  to  America  upon  this  occasion.  His  bear- 
ing was  exceedingly  dignified  throughout  his  visit, 
yet  without  the  slightest  trace  of  hauteur ;  and  his 
speeches  upon  all  occasions  showed  that  he  was 
thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  his  surroundings ;  and 
that  he  enjoyed  seeing  all  that  came  under  his 
notice. 

The  young  bloods  of  New  York  were  not  slow  to 
mark  the  cut  of  his  coat,  and  what  is  there  known 
to  the  present  day  as  the  "  Prince  Albert  frock  coat" 
is  the  distinctive  title  of  the  ordinary  frock  coat  worn 
now  in  England  ;  while  many  elderly  gentlemen  took 
serious  notice  of  the  whiskers,  and  length  of  hair, 
worn  by  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  and  established 
therefrom  their  standard  for  the  fashion  of  wearing 
their  hair. 

During  my  thirty-eight  years'  residence  in  Eng- 
land, my  good  fortune  has  given  me  the  privilege 
of  seeing  and  hearing  most  of  the  public  men  as- 
sociated with  arts  or  science,  with  literature  or  politics, 
who  have  visited  this  country  from  the  States.  None 
of  those  men  who  have  been  recognised  as  leaders 
have  been  disappointed  with  the  reception  which 
they  have  met  with  in  England. 

Nearly  all  the  Ministers  and  Ambassadors  sent  to 
England  from  the  United  States  have  been,  with 
one  exception  in  my  recollection,  professional  men 
— lawyers  representing  the  larger  number.  Distinctly 
literary  men  have  been  honoured  by  representing 
their  country  as  Minister  or  Ambassador  to  Great 

224 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Britain.  Amongst  the  latter  may  be  mentioned  John 
Lothrop  Motley  and  Mr  Russell  Lowell.  Once  at  a 
banquet  to  which  Literature  was  responded  to  by  Mr 
Anthony  Hope  Hawkins,  the  well-known  novelist, 
he  said,  "  in  America  they  took  their  literary  men 
seriously.  They  made  them  Ambassadors.  Nothing 
of  that  sort  happened  over  here.  He  was  not  airing 
a  personal  grievance,  but  merely  representing  his 
trade." 

Amongst  the  literary  Americans  whose  works  have 
been  received  with  the  greatest  appreciation,  and  who 
have  also  undertaken  lecture  tours,  was  Mark  Twain, 
who  most  reluctantly  consented  to  deliver  three 
lectures  at  the  Hanover  Square  Rooms  in  1874. 
At  each  lecture  a  crowded  house  greeted  him.  I 
have  never  seen  these  lectures  in  print ;  but  I  re- 
member that  they  greatly  pleased  all  who  heard 
them.  His  method  and  manner  were  wholly  original. 
He  came  upon  the  platform,  on  which  were  simply 
a  chair  and  table,  but  he  made  use  of  neither  one 
nor  the  other.  Before  commencing  his  lecture  he 
held  his  hands  together,  and  stooped  over  the  front 
of  the  platform  ;  then  he  paced  backward  and  for- 
ward the  length  of  the  platform  quite  half-a-dozen 
times  without  speaking.  He  then  advanced  to  the 
front  of  the  platform,  so  that  his  feet  were  over 
the  edge,  and  I  felt  inclined  to  utter  a  word  of 
warning,  as  I  was  sitting  in  the  front  row ;  but  this 
would  have  been  unnecessary,  for  when  he  began 
to  speak  his  manner  was  most  deliberate,  and  I 
p  225 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

could  see  that  he  had  perfect  control  of  the  meet- 
ing. The  lectures  were  mostly  humorous,  and  yet 
when  he  turned  from  story-telling  to  descriptions  of 
scenery — "The  Sandwich  Islands"  was  the  subject 
of  the  lecture — the  audience  could  not  quite  realise 
whether  he  were  serious  or  joking.  I  can  only  re- 
member now  one  story  which  he  told.  This  was  a 
description  of  a  thunder-storm  at  Honolulu.  He  said 
that  the  clouds  assumed  the  blackest  appearance  in 
the  east.  He  was  at  the  time  driving  in  a  Sandwich 
Island  cart.  The  cart  was  divided  into  two  parts  by 
planking,  the  rear  half  being  usually  devoted  to  the 
transport  of  luggage.  The  seat  was  on  the  central 
division.  Perceiving  by  the  black  cloud  that  the 
rain  was  about  to  fall  heavily,  seeing  the  flashes  of 
lightning,  and  hearing  the  roll  of  the  thunder,  he 
roused  the  pony,  and  managed  to  keep  exactly  in 
front  of  the  storm,  although  when  he  got  to  the 
end  of  his  journey  he  found  the  rear  portion  of  his 
cart  was  filled  with  water.  After  telling  the  story  he 
kept  perfectly  still  for  a  moment ;  but  no  one  laughed. 

With  regard  to  the  clothing  of  the  natives,  he  said 
he  did  not  see  much  difference,  as  all  could  be  obtained 
anywhere  from  milliners'  shops  ;  but  what  they  mostly 
wore  was  a  smile. 

Meeting  him  at  a  public  dinner,  certainly  twenty 
years  after  the  delivery  of  these  lectures,  I  asked 
him  if  he  would  tell  those  present  the  Sandwich 
Island  thunder-storm  story,  and  he  assured  me  he 
could  not  remember  a  word  of  it,  nor  could  he 

226 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

remember  even  after  I  had  prompted  him  as  to  the 
point  of  the  story.  This  was  at  a  banquet  given  by 
the  Authors'  Society,  on  which  occasion  Mr  Mark 
Twain  was  the  guest  of  the  evening. 

I  have  frequently  been  asked  what  sort  of  a 
population  exists  in  New  York  city  which  would 
come  nearest  to  those  living  in  Shoreditch  and 
Whitechapel.  There  are  precisely  such  classes  in 
New  York,  but  they  are  not  Americans  by  birth — 
they  are  comprised  of  a  number  of  various  nationalities 
who  have  come  from  all  parts  of  the  world  thinking 
to  better  their  fortunes  in  the  States.  They  come 
chiefly  from  Ireland,  Germany,  Russia,  Italy,  and 
other  foreign  countries.  These  people  are  to  be 
found  in  the  districts  known  as  the  Bowery,  Centre 
Street,  Chatham  Street,  and  the  sides  of  both  the 
north  and  east  rivers,  and  they  largely  correspond 
to  the  people  of  Shoreditch  and  Whitechapel  in 
London.  The  members  of  one  nationality  entering 
the  United  States  will  in  some  form  or  another 
attempt  to  renew  many  of  the  customs,  the  mode  ol 
life,  and  the  amusements  which  they  have  left  behind 
them  in  the  old  world,  but  none  of  these  foreign 
nationalities — except  the  Germans — have  succeeded 
to  any  extent  in  establishing  their  old  life  upon  any 
enduring  footing.  The  Germans  have  built  a  new 
Fatherland,  and  the  lager  beer  gardens  flourish 
on  quite  as  large  a  scale  as  they  are  found  in  the 
old  Fatherland. 

The  Chinese  and  Japanese  emigrants  are  in  a 

227 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

decided  minority  in  the  eastern  states ;  whereas  in 
California  and  the  mining  districts  they  form  the 
chief  source  from  whence  labour  is  obtained.  They 
are  industrious  and  prudent,  and  engage  in  any 
kind  of  hard  work  in  the  field,  or  in  the  house 
act  as  domestic  servants.  The  laundries  on  the 
Pacific  coast  are  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the 
Chinese. 

The  system  of  Relief  for  the  Poor  and  Destitute  is 
ample  ;  but  the  wards  of  Hospitals  and  Poorhouses 
are  not  occupied  by  Americans,  but  almost  wholly 
by  the  foreign  immigrant.  No  American  would  ever 
allow  any  member  of  his  family,  however  remote  the 
relationship,  to  become  a  charge  upon  any  charity  ; 
such  a  thing  would  be  regarded  as  a  great  disgrace, 
though  there  is  no  law  compelling  their  maintenance 
at  the  hand  of  a  relative. 

The  instinct  in  an  American's  breast  is  overpower- 
ing not  to  allow  anyone  bearing  his  name  to  become 
a  pauper.  All  institutions  of  this  class  are  maintained 
entirely  by  taxation,  and  such  a  thing  as  a  Chanty 
Banquet  to  raise  funds  for  charitable  purposes — like 
is  done  in  England — is  nowhere  adopted  in  any  part 
of  the  United  States.  Charity  Balls,  however,  are 
popular.  Of  course,  all  public  institutions  receive 
charitable  bequests  and  voluntary  gifts  ;  but  appeals 
are  not  made  on  any  recognised  plan  ;  and  the  issue 
of  begging  letters  in  support  of  them  to  the  un- 
limited extent  which  is  done  in  England  never  occurs. 
Refuges  of  various  kinds  are  maintained  by  unsolicited 

228 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

private  subscriptions  ;  and  are  not  erected  and  estab- 
lished unless  properly  endowed. 

Organisations  similar  to  those  existing  in  this 
country  for  the  Protection  of  Children,  and  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  exist  in  the  United 
States,  and  are  entirely  supported  by  voluntary 
contributions.  The  columns  of  all  the  newspapers 
would  be  searched  in  vain  to  find  a  single  charitable 
appeal,  in  the  form  prevalent  in  England. 

After  the  return  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  from  his 
tour  of  England's  Colonial  Possessions,  1901,  upon 
the  first  occasion  of  his  returning  thanks  for  his  public 
reception  in  the  Guildhall,  he  uttered  the  three  words 
which  made  that  occasion  famous  :  "Wake  up,  Eng- 
land ! "  said  he ;  and  these  words  crystallised  the 
experience  he  had  gone  through,  which  taught  him 
that  if  England  intended  to  march  in  the  van  of 
progress  she  must  throw  off  all  lethargy  and  sloth, 
and  "  wake  up  "  to  the  adoption  of  modern,  and  new 
methods  in  order  to  maintain  her  supremacy.  She 
is  almost  likely  to  slip  behind  her  daughter  Colonies 
and  the  United  States. 

In  the  matter  of  minor  Engineering  Works  for  many 
years  England  has  been  beaten,  in  point  of  time,  in 
construction  of  bridges  and  similar  undertakings. 
English  workmen  dislike  to  "  hurry  up  "  ;  and  a  foot- 
ball match  would  take  them  away  from  the  most 
important  order  for  engineering  work  ever  obtained 
by  their  masters.  Nor  have  Englishmen  advanced  as 
"  Universal  providers"  in  the  same  way  as  Americans 

229 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  Germans  have.  Not  only  are  foreign  travellers 
gathering  the  world's  orders,  but  their  employers  are 
adapting  their  productions  to  the  tastes  of  their  cus- 
tomers more  readily  than  the  English.  Many  most 
important  building  Contracts  in  London  have  recently 
been  assisted  by  American  firms — notably  the  "  Savoy 
Hotel  "  and  the  gigantic  Hotel  Ritz — the  work  is  done 
in  conjunction  with  English  Builders.  The  failure  of 
British  Agriculture  might  have  been  prevented  by 
a  better  application  of  methods  and  the  utilisation 
of  modern  inventions  to  the  work  of  the  farm,  not- 
withstanding the  burdens  upon  the  land. 

Working  days  are  lost  to  the  nation  by  the  over- 
indulgence of  her  workmen  in  holidays.  Saturday  is 
a  national  holiday — almost  wholly ;  and  Monday  is 
taken  to  recover  from  indulgence.  This  tendency  to 
slothfulness  runs  through  all  the  trades  of  the  country  ; 
and  shopkeepers  are  affected  in  similar  fashion,  be- 
cause they  open  later  and  close  earlier.  This  is  the 
real  cause  of  English  imports  advancing  so  seriously 
upon  the  value  of  her  exports. 

One  of  the  most  pronounced  illustrations  of 
American  enterprise  is  furnished  by  the  improvements 
effected  in  her  Mail-Carrying  system.  In  1867,  when 
I  left  America,  the  railway  coup  was  the  connecting 
of  California  and  Oregon  with  Missouri,  and  the 
mails  (which  did  not  proceed  by  sea  and  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  occupying  twenty-two  days)  were  trans- 
mitted by  overland  mail-coaches  and  riders.  An 
illustration  of  this  was  given  by  Buffalo  Bill  in  his 

230 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Wild  West  Show  at  Earl's  Court  a  few  years  ago. 
This  service  was  carried  out  by  rough-riders  carry- 
ing the  mails  across  the  continent,  a  distance  of  3000 
miles,  in  about  sixteen  days. 

"  The  Pony  Express,"  known  as  the  Central  Over- 
land California  and  Pike's  Peak  Express  Co.,  was 
organised  in  1860  to  convey  letters  and  news  from 
St  Joseph,  Missouri,  to  Sacramento  and  San  Francisco 
(across  the  Bay)  California,  between  which  points 
there  was  no  railway  or  telegraph  line.  On  3rd  April 
1860  the  express  was  opened  by  a  rider  leaving  each 
terminus,  and  the  work  was  carried  on  for  sixteen 
months.  The  charge  originally  made  for  each  letter 
of  half  ounce  or  under  was  5  dollars,  reduced 
afterwards  to  $2.50  per  half  ounce — the  United 
States  postage  of  10  cents  to  be  paid  in  addition. 
Although  they  took  as  much  as  10,000  dollars  a  trip, 
and  received  in  the  course  of  the  whole  period 
500,000  dollars,  there  was  lost  by  the  projectors  and 
founders  20,000  dollars.  The  original  projectors 
were  Messrs  Russell  Majors  &  Waddell,  who  were 
engaged  as  express  agents  in  western  overland 
transportation. 

The  regular  United  States  overland  mail  was  served 
by  mail  and  passenger  coaches,  which  occupied  nine- 
teen days  on  the  journey  to  a  telegraph  station,  east 
of  Rocky  Mountains,  then  St  Joseph,  Missouri.  The 
Pony  Express  was  organised,  without  Government 
aid,  to  carry  letters  and  dispatches  the  same  distance, 
about  1900  miles,  over  mountains,  in  ten  days,  and  the 

231 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

projectors  hoped  after  the  organisation  was  running 
to  do  the  journey  in  eight  days.  By  calling  at  Genoa, 
Canon  Valley,  the  express  delivered  despatches  which 
the  telegraph  forwarded  to  the  Pacific  cities,  and  thus 
abridged  communication  in  that  direction  by  two 
days.  The  calculation  for  the  work  was  based  upon 
the  employment  of  300  ponies  and  150  riders,  with 
stations  every  twenty  miles  apart. 

The  Pony  Express  was  greeted  with  great  en- 
thusiasm by  the  people  of  Canon  Valley,  which 
previously  had  only  enjoyed  a  semi-monthly  mail 
during  winter. 

With  respect  to  the  first  express  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  St  Joseph,  the  first  journey  occu- 
pied less  than  ten  days,  and  brought  285  letters,  5 
private  telegraph  despatches,  and  a  large  summary 
of  news.  This  feat  was  greeted  with  unbounded 
enthusiasm,  and  the  adventures  of  certain  of 
the  riders  were  told  in  the  columns  of  the  news- 
papers. 

On  the  1 3th  April  1860  the  new  Pony  Express 
carried  13,000  letters.  This  express  service  was  run 
weekly.  Soon  after  being  organised  the  Pony  Ex- 
press was  found  able  to  beat  the  news  carried  by  the 
overland  mail-coach  by  nine  days. 

The  rules  laid  down  by  the  company  for  the  observ- 
ance of  their  riders  are  probably  unique  in  the  history 
of  any  such  undertaking  in  the  world.  They  were  as 
follows  : — 

i.  You  must  sign  the  pledge. 

232 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

2.  You  must  not  use  profane  language. 

3.  You  must  not  get  drunk. 

4.  You  must  not  gamble. 

5.  You  must  not  beat  the  ponies  cruelly. 

6.  You  must   not   do   anything   incompatible   with 
the  conduct  of  a  gentleman. 

The  postage  was  5  dollars  for  each  letter  weighing 
half-an-ounce  or  under.  This  was  afterwards  reduced 
to  $2.50  (ios.). 

Riders  were  required  to  ride  seventy-five  miles  west 
one  day,  and  return  next  day  with  the  east-bound 
mail. 

Buffalo  Bill's  ride  was  from  Red  Buttes,  in  Wyoming 
territory,  to  Three  Crossings,  in  Nebraskam — a  journey 
of  1 1 6  miles. 

The  railway,  which  terminated  the  use  of  the 
express,  was  made  by  the  Central  Pacific  Railway 
and  the  Union  Pacific,  and  was  not  completed  until 
1869.  The  loss  sustained  to  the  organisers  of  the 
express  was  made  up  to  them  subsequently,  by  grants 
of  land  along  the  line  of  railway,  which  more  than 
compensated  them  for  their  loss. 

New  York  and  London  are  practically  alike  in 
the  matter  of  Sunday  observance  and  attendance  at 
church  services.  The  Week-End  holiday  is  greatly 
appreciated  in  both  cities.  Younger  members  of 
families  go  out  for  the  day,  and  the  heads  of  families 
attend  church. 

There  are  entertainments  on  the  Sunday  for 
members  of  the  theatrical  and  other  professions 

233 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

who  are  engaged  throughout  the  week,  just  as  there 
are  in  London. 

The  holiday-maker  in  the  States  is  orderly  and 
well-behaved  ;  but  the  observance  of  Sunday  partakes 
largely  of  the  custom  of  the  mother  country,  of  what- 
ever nationality. 


234 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Times  and  The  Standard  as  Publishers  —  The  Encyclopedia 
Britannica,  and  English  Literature  —  Half-a-million  spent  in 
Advertising — Company  Promoting — Savings  Banks  in  United 
States — Cheque  System— The  Waldorf  Astoria — United  States 
Officials — Divorce  Laws  in  America — English  and  American 
Women — A  great  Snowstorm. 

AMONGST  the  army  of  advertisers  who  have  ex- 
ploited Great  Britain  I  must  make  special  reference 
to  the  work  of  those  whose  labours  resulted  in  the 
issue  of  the  tenth  edition  of  the  Encyclopedia 
Britannica ;  an  important  Atlas ;  a  first-class  Dic- 
tionary ;  and  the  fifty  years  of  Punch,  which  were 
advertised  under  the  auspices  of  The  Times ;  and  the 
twenty  volumes  of  "Famous  Literature"  advertised 
by  The  Standard.  These  undertakings  were  mam- 
moth in  their  character,  in  the  cost  of  producing  the 
volumes  themselves,  and  in  the  payments  made  to 
literary  men  for  their  preparation.  Perhaps  the  most 
startling  feature  of  all  was  the  outlay  on  adver- 
tisements to  effect  their  sale  to  the  British  public. 
The  whole  of  these  works  were  exploited  by  two 
Bostonians,  Messrs  Hooper  &  Jackson,  and  they 
stood  behind  the  screen  as  the  actual  promoters  of 
the  several  undertakings  ;  while  The  Times  and  The 
Standard  allowed  their  newspapers  to  be  the  medium 
of  communication  with  the  public.  The  advertise- 
ment outlay  in  connection  with  their  publications 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

during  the  last  few  years  must  have  amounted  to 
no  less  a  sum  than  half-a-million  sterling ;  and  as  all 
the  works  were  a  success,  the  libraries,  private  and 
public,  in  Great  Britain  were  enriched  with  these 
volumes  at  a  cost  of  not  less  than  two  and  a  half 
millions  of  money,  and  the  profits  upon  the  sales  must 
have  been  enormous,  both  to  the  proprietors  and 
to  the  newspapers,  which  had  fostered  the  sales. 
The  whole  business,  however,  is  not  one  which 
can  be  contrasted  with  the  ordinary  transactions 
between  advertisers,  and  newspaper  proprietors  ;  the 
difference  being  due  to  the  extreme  ability  and  skill 
shown  by  the  owners  of  the  books  which  were  issued, 
and  the  impression  they  were  able  to  make  upon  the 
proprietors  of  these  two  Conservative  newspapers  so 
as  to  secure  the  influence  of  their  powerful  names. 

In  all  my  advertising  experience  I  have  never 
seen  better  use  made  of  position,  space,  and  type 
than  that  firm  achieved  for  themselves  in  the  announce- 
ments of  their  books.  The  Encyclopedia  Britannica 
was,  of  course,  the  greatest  triumph,  as  this  comprised 
a  set  of  thirty-seven  volumes.  When  completed,  each 
subscriber  became  responsible  for  a  minimum  of  ^28 
up  to  ^48,  according  to  the  binding.  The  terms 
upon  which  the  purchase  was  made — that  of  monthly 
or  deferred  payments — was  a  startling  proposition  to 
the  book-buyer ;  and  the  tempting  bait  thus  held  out 
accomplished  the  object  in  view,  and  secured  sub- 
scriptions ;  and  I  have  been  assured  that  the  de- 
faulters in  connection  with  the  different  payments 
were  moderate  in  the  extreme. 

236 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

In  carrying  out  the  publication  and  issue  of  these 
books  there  was  a  staff  organised  of  probably  500 
persons.  No  cost  was  spared  in  securing  the 
very  best  staff  of  Editors  and  Writers,  in  the  pre- 
paration of  the  advertisements  ;  and  of  men  who  were 
authorities  on  the  methods  of  display  and  of  type. 
Some  of  these  were  Americans  brought  over  for  the 
purpose,  and  others  were  found  in  London. 

The  English  publishing  trade  is  said  to  have 
suffered  in  consequence  of  the  drain  made  upon  the 
pockets  of  book-buyers  to  pay  for  these  standard 
works. 

The  Display  Advertisements  allowed  by  The  Times 
and  Standard  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  paving 
the  way  for  the  appearance  of  blocks  and  the  per- 
manent display  of  advertisements  of  articles  of  mer- 
chandise, which  had  been  previously  forbidden. 

In  the  provision  of  Savings  Banks  there  is  a 
marked  difference  in  the  customs  prevailing  in  England 
and  the  States.  There  are  no  Government  savings 
banks  in  America,  similar  to  the  Post  Office  savings 
banks  of  Great  Britain.  There  are  plenty  of  Banks, 
however,  well  and  honestly  conducted  ;  but  they  are 
private  speculations  without  any  Government  guar- 
antee. I  cannot  recall  the  failure  of  any  Savings 
Bank  in  the  United  States.  At  periods  of  great 
financial  excitement  runs  upon  certain  of  these  banks 
have  taken  place,  but  in  the  end  greater  confidence 
even  than  before  has  been  reposed,  in  these  well- 
managed  and  excellent  institutions. 

In  relation  to  the  question  of  Banks,  I  might  here 

237 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

very  properly  refer  to  the  Cheque  system  which  pre- 
vails throughout  the  United  States  in  the  matter 
of  withdrawing  money  from  banking  institutions. 
English  cheques  which  are  crossed  and  marked  "  not 
negotiable  "  can  only  be  collected  through  a  bank,  and 
are  never  payable  over  the  counter.  Thus  the  payer 
and  the  payee  are  amply  protected  against  any  loss  in 
the  event  of  a  cheque  being  improperly  dealt  with  ;  or 
any  attempt  being  made  to  do  so.  This  system  of 
crossing  Cheques  I  have  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in 
explaining  to  American  friends,  who  have  received  such 
cheques,  and  on  presenting  them  at  the  bank  counter 
have  been  refused  cash,  even  when  payable  to  bearer 
— the  two  lines  drawn  across  the  face  of  the  cheque 
being  the  bar  to  any  such  transaction. 

The  only  protection  for  the  cheque  in  America 
is  making  the  cheque  payable  to  the  order  of  the 
payee,  and  he  will  be  unable  to  obtain  cash  at  the 
counter  unless  he  is  personally  identified,  or  can  get 
someone  known  at  the  bank  to  place  his  name  below 
that  of  the  payee,  with  the  words  "  Endorsement 
correct." 

The  English  system,  I  am  bound  to  say,  is  really 
the  better  for  all  parties,  because  less  trouble  is  caused 
to  the  public  and  the  bankers  when  once  understood. 

A  crossed  cheque  may  be  payable  to  the  order 
of  John  Smith,  and  a  man  known  to  the  bank  cashier 
to  be  John  Jones  would  write  John  Smith  on  the 
back  of  the  cheque  in  front  of  him,  and  the  cheque 
would  be  cashed  without  the  slightest  hesitation 
whatever. 

238 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

An  important  point  of  the  English  method  in  con- 
nection with  Banks  is  that  Cheques  payable  only 
through  a  bank  must  have  the  endorsement  in  exact 
accord  with  the  name  of  the  payee  appearing  on  the 
face  of  the  cheque.  A  cheque  may  be  payable  to 
Adolphus  Clark,  and  the  man's  real  name  may  be 
Adolphus  W.  Clark,  and  known  to  be  so  by  the 
bankers ;  therefore,  if  the  cheque  is  not  endorsed 
exactly  as  is  written  by  the  payer,  it  would  be  re- 
turned with  the  words  "  Endorsement  irregular " 
thereon,  and  the  signature  must  be  made  correct. 

The  promotion  of  public  companies  by  means  of 
advertised  prospectus  assumed  enormous  proportions 
between  the  years  1880  and  1900.  The  history  of 
many  of  these  undertakings,  some  prosperous  and 
others  utter  failures,  are  so  well  known  to  the  public 
that  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  particularise  ;  but  it  is  not 
surprising  that  I  should,  among  others,  have  been 
often  invited  to  take  an  interest  in  some  of  these 
attractive  investments  which  were  offered  to  the  public. 
I  had,  early  in  my  life,  made  it  a  rule  not  to  take 
an  interest  in  any  business  which  I  did  not  thoroughly 
understand  ;  I  had  always  been  able  to  find  invest- 
ments for  any  surplus  moneys  I  might  have  which 
would  come  under  that  ruling.  I  did,  however,  make 
an  exception,  when  the  invention  of  the  writing  tele- 
graph was  brought  to  my  notice  about  the  year  1890. 
I  had  seen  the  practical  working  of  the  instruments, 
and  had  the  strongest  possible  endorsements  by 
eminent  electricians  that  the  system  was  practical,  and 
could  be  adopted  for  commercial  purposes.  The  late 

239 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Duke  of  Maryborough,  who  was  an  expert  electrician, 
took  a  very  serious  interest  in  the  invention,  and 
came  to  my  office  personally,  where  the  machines 
were  set  up,  and  was  prepared  to  take  an  important 
interest  in  the  formation  of  a  company.  So  also  were 
several  other  gentlemen  of  reputation  and  financial 
position.  The  formation  of  a  company  had  got 
to  a  point  when  it  seemed  almost  a  certainty  that 
a  large  sum  of  money  would  be  paid  to  me  and  one  or 
two  others  who  had  the  option  and  control  of  the 
patents,  when,  like  a  thunderbolt,  came  the  discovery 
that  the  English  patents  had  been  anticipated,  and 
that  no  protection  could  be  given  to  the  holders  of  the 
invention  in  this  country.  So  the  matter  came  to 
a  sudden  and  irrevocable  end.  Fortunately,  my  in- 
vestment in  the  matter  was  quite  nominal,  and  really 
no  money  was  lost.  Up*bn  another  and  later  occasion, 
the  well-known  company  promoter,  Mr  Ernest  Terah 
Hooley  made  an  offer  of  ,£1,000,000  for  the  good- will 
and  trade  marks  of  one  of  the  properties  which  was 
owned  in  the  United  States,  and  for  which  I  was  the 
British  agent.  This  matter  was  under  consideration  for 
a  few  months  ;  but  the  American  owners  ultimately  de- 
clined to  sell  and  that  matter  came  to  an  end.  Still 
later,  an  American  invention  known  as  the  Blaisdell 
Paper  Pencils  was  brought  to  me,  with  patents  fully 
protected,  and  also  machinery  in  readiness  to  manu- 
facture. Thinking  well  of  it,  I  invested  a  considerable 
sum  of  money,  as  also  did  several  of  my  friends,  and  it 
was  ultimately  offered  to  the  public,  and  successfully 
floated.  It  was  found,  however,  that  the  cost  of  pro- 

240 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

ducing  the  pencils  had  been  greatly  under-estimated, 
and  that  the  pencils  which  we,  in  order  to  compete 
with  other  lead  pencils  in  the  market,  would  have 
to  sell  at  id.  and  2d.  each,  cost  to  manufacture 
something  like  a  is.  each.  Of  course,  this  meant 
a  failure,  and  after  every  effort  was  made  to  reduce 
the  cost  of  the  pencils  and  to  continue  the  sale  at  a 
profit,  it  became  necessary  to  abandon  the  effort  to 
continue  the  manufacture.  The  company  was  liqui- 
dated and  wound  up,  and  a  substantial  loss,  of  course, 
had  to  be  faced  by  those  who  had  invested  in  it. 
I  am  bound  to  say  that  a  more  useful  and  convenient 
pencil  for  all  purposes  than  the  Blaisdell  has  never 
been  manufactured  and  sold  in  this  or  any  other 
country,  but  the  cost  of  production  has  rendered  it  out 
of  the  question  to  manufacture  them  on  the  large 
scale  to  compete  with  the  existing  supplies  of  pencils 
both  of  English  and  foreign  make.  I  certainly  blame 
myself  for  not  having  more  thoroughly  tested  the 
statements  which  had  been  made  as  to  the  cost  of 
manufacturing  these  pencils.  It  is  the  old  story  of 
the  sanguine  inventor  having  no  real  knowledge  of 
practical  matters  of  business.  With  these  experi- 
ences, I  am  not  likely  to  become  personally  interested 
in  the  promotion  or  development  of  any  invention 
which  is  outside  my  own  knowledge  in  every  detail. 
All  the  same,  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that, 
in  each  of  the  foregoing  promotions,  they  were  en- 
tirely genuine,  and  that  they  were  not  capitalised  be- 
yond their  value  and  dividend-earning  capacity  had 
it  been  possible  to  work  and  develop  them  on  the 

Q  241 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

lines  that  were  intended  when  the  prospectus  was 
issued. 

The  Water  Supply  of  the  chief  cities  of  the  United 
States  is  carried  out  on  the  same  principle  as  in 
England,  though  in  no  case  is  there  any  restriction 
as  to  the  quantity  used.  Every  house  has  a  con- 
stant supply  direct  from  the  mains  ;  and  cisterns  do 
not  exist,  even  for  holding  a  reserve  in  case  of  a 
mishap  to  the  water  mains.  Everyone  using  the 
supply  can  turn  off  the  water  at  the  main  in  case 
of  need,  and  this  frequently  becomes  necessary  in  the 
winter  owing  to  the  freezing  of  water  pipes.  In 
order  to  avoid  freezing,  every  householder,  however, 
has  learned  by  experience  that  the  best  prevention 
is  to  allow  the  water  to  be  kept  slowly  running  day 
and  night.  The  occurrence  of  a  water  famine  in 
New  York  is  of  infrequent  occurrence,  notwithstand- 
ing the  enormous  waste  which  is  continually  going  on. 
The  supply  is  obtained  from  Croton  Lake,  which  is 
twenty  miles  from  New  York,  and  the  water  is 
inexhaustible.  This  lake  is  owned  by  the  city  of 
New  York  ;  and  the  owners  of  all  house  property 
must  pay  the  water  rate  :  never  the  tenant. 

In  1902  I  found  that  the  latest,  as  well  as  the 
largest  and  most  perfectly-equipped,  Hostelry  in  the 
United  States  had  been  opened.  This  was  the 
Waldorf  Astoria,  and  I  stayed  there  for  one  week. 
I  had  a  bedroom,  with  bathroom  attached,  at  an  in- 
clusive charge  of  10  dollars  per  day,  without  refresh- 
ments, but  no  extras.  I  was  completely  surprised 
with  the  size  and  magnificence  of  the  hotel  and 

242 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  appointments.  There  was  accommodation  for 
2500  guests,  and  the  employees  numbered  several 
hundreds.  The  method  for  securing  comfort  and 
happiness  was  perfect.  There  is  no  hotel  in  London 
or  Paris  carried  on  upon  the  same  plan.  Every 
party  on  arrival  is  conducted  to  the  Public  Bureau, 
and  one  of  the  party  must  sign  the  register  and 
give  the  number  of  guests,  before  the  key  of  his 
rooms  is  handed  to  him,  and  a  servant  directed  to 
show  the  rooms.  The  hotel  is  sixteen  storeys  in 
height,  and  every  floor  is  under  the  separate  manage- 
ment of  a  Manageress,  who  has  at  her  command  three 
or  four  Call-boys ;  and  she  sits  at  a  desk  directly 
opposite  the  lifts,  so  that  she  commands  the  whole 
situation.  Persons  coming  to  the  floor,  either  by 
the  staircase  or  lift,  cannot  get  to  their  rooms 
without  her  knowledge,  and  after  the  rooms  are  left 
the  keys  are  deposited  with  the  floor  Manageress. 

The  room  assigned  to  a  Guest  consists  of  a  bed- 
sitting-room,  furnished  with  a  writing-table,  chairs, 
and  easy-chair,  as  well  as  the  usual  bedroom  furni- 
ture. On  looking  at  the  table  I  noticed  there  was  no 
stationery,  pens,  or  ink,  so  touching  the  electric  bell, 
a  Call-boy  answered,  and  I  pointed  out  to  him  what 
I  wanted.  He  was  back  within  three  minutes  with 
the  articles  I  required.  Then  I  discovered  that  the 
electric  light  was  exactly  where  I  could  not  sit  to 
write,  so  I  rang  the  bell  again,  and  when  the  Call-boy 
appeared  I  told  him  the  difficulty  I  was  in.  The  boy 
disappeared,  but  in  a  very  few  minutes  an  electrician 
came  with  an  electric  lamp  having  a  coil  of 

243 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

flexible  tube,  which  he  connected  with  a  wall  bracket 
which  he  fitted  up  immediately  ;  carrying  the  wire  to 
the  exact  position  desired,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes 
the  shaded  lamp  stood  in  the  proper  place  upon  the 
table,  the  light  switched  on,  and  everything  in  order. 

Another  system  which  prevails  in  all  American 
hotels,  and  which  might  well  be  adopted  in  some 
of  the  large  west-end  hotels,  is  the  method  of  dealing 
with  Visitors  calling  to  see  guests.  For  this  particular 
purpose  there  is  a  separate  Bureau.  The  name  of 
every  guest  is  alphabetically  arranged  in  front  of  the 
person  in  charge  of  the  department.  You  inquire 
for  the  one  you  want,  and  your  card  is  at  once  sent 
by  pneumatic  tube  to  the  Manageress  of  the  floor 
where  the  one  wanted  is  lodging,  and  a  Call-boy  takes 
the  card  to  him  at  once.  If  you  are  out,  which  is 
seen  in  a  moment  by  the  key  being  in  place,  then 
the  card  is  sent  back,  with  the  word  "Out"  written 
thereon.  All  the  reception  -  halls  may  be  looked 
through  if  the  Visitor  may  chance  to  be  in,  but  there 
is  no  bawling  of  the  name  from  room  to  room  as  in 
London. 

Another  marvellous  adjunct  is  the  rapid  Lift  system. 
There  are  a  dozen  of  these,  which  work  separately ; 
each  having  a  special  man  in  charge — the  whole 
directed  by  a  Conductor.  As  you  approach  he  waves 
his  hand  to  one  of  the  lifts,  and  you  enter.  Then 
no  words  are  wasted  with  the  lift  man — you  say 
"third"  or  "fourth"  or  "fifteenth,"  according  to  the 
particular  floor  you  want. 

The  use  of  the  Telephone  is  remarkable,  and  the 

244 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

system  has  been  brought  to  a  high  state  of  perfection. 
This  instrument  is  not  only  much  used  for  local  pur- 
poses in  New  York,  but  is  fitted  up  in  such  a  way, 
with  long-distance  attributes,  that  you  can  communi- 
cate immediately  with  Boston  or  Philadelphia,  Chicago 
or  St  Louis.  This  would  be  a  distance  of  1 500  miles, 
and  the  fee  would  be  very  moderate. 

On  my  last  visit  to  New  York  I  found  that  the 
sale  of  Spirits  and  Wine  on  Sunday  is  entirely  for- 
bidden at  open  bars.  You  may  order  wine  at  your 
hotel  with  meals,  and  be  served  ;  but  if  a  stranger 
wishes  for  a  drink  he  must  sit  down  to  a  table,  and 
order  a  sandwich  with  his  liquor,  or  he  would  not 
be  served.  I  have  been  told  by  experts  in  discover- 
ing secret  passages,  that  those  who  are  well  enough 
known  can  find  access  to  private  bars  at  most  of  the 
hotels,  where  the  restriction  about  the  sandwich  is 
not  literally  observed — but  I  never  sought  one  of 
these  bars  myself. 

The  remark  is  generally  made  by  Americans  who 
have  visited  London,  how  very  admirable  the  choice 
has  been  of  the  men  who  represent  the  Commercial 
interests  of  the  United  States  as  Consul  or  Consul- 
General.  This  appointment  is  greatly  sought  after 
as  one  of  the  greatest  importance.  During  the  thirty- 
iight  years  under  review  I  have  been  personally 
acquainted  with  all  the  occupants  of  these  posts  in 
London,  as  well  as  the  members  of  the  Staff.  The 
Deputy  Vice-Consul,  Major  Frigout,  has  held  that 
office  from  1867  to  1905.  Whoever  the  Consul-General 
has  been  he  has  retained  the  services  of  the  Major ; 

245 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

which  is  the  highest  possible  testimony  to  the  ability 
with  which  he  discharges  his  onerous  duties. 

The  post  of  American  Minister  was  held  in  1867 
by  Mr  Charles  Francis  Adams  of  Massachusetts ; 
the  Ambassador  since  July  1905  has  been  Mr 
Whitelaw  Reid.  Mr  Joseph  H.  Choate  held  the 
appointment  for  six  years — being  two  years  longer 
than  any  previous  Minister  or  Ambassador  since  Mr 
Adams. 

I  have  often  been  questioned  as  to  the  operation 
of  the  Divorce  Laws  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the 
remarkable  facilities  which  seem  to  prevail,  enabling 
disappointed  married  folk,  to  dissolve  the  nuptial 
knot  at  short  notice.  The  fact  is  that  the  divorce 
laws  differ  in  every  state  of  the  Union.  In  some  of 
them  the  conditions  are  difficult,  and  hedged  about 
as  seriously  as  they  are  in  England  ;  while  in  certain 
States  a  slight  basis  of  incompatibility  would  answer 
every  requirement  of  the  State  law.  A  residence  of  six 
weeks  in  the  State  is  made  sufficient  to  put  the  law 
in  motion  to  secure  relief,  and  some  of  the  States  are 
very  lax  in  their  rules,  as  to  notice  to  the  defendant. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  gross  injustice  is  often 
caused  by  the  laxity  of  the  legal  rules  ;  and  the  fact 
is  known  that  President  Roosevelt  at  the  present 
time  has  the  subject  under  very  serious  consideration, 
and  that  he  is  anxious  to  have  one  law  for  the  whole 
of  the  States,  which  shall  be  just  and  merciful  in 
operation.  The  plea  of  adultery,  unlike  the  English 
law  on  the  point,  is  equally  available  for  man  or 
woman ;  cruelty  not  being  coupled  with  adultery,  on 

246 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  part  of  the  man,  in  the  United  States.  In  England 
a  separation  may  be  obtained  for  adultery  on  the  part 
of  a  man,  or  for  cruelty,  or  both,  or  for  non-support ; 
but  divorce  can  only  be  obtained  on  the  ground  of 
adultery  with  legal  cruelty.  This  legal  cruelty  may 
take  the  form  of  threatening  the  life — not  actual 
violence — or  keeping  back  the  necessaries  of  life. 
Those  who  have  carefully  considered  the  question 
all  round,  consider  that  the  English  law  of  divorce  as 
it  is  now  administered  is  really  just,  and  no  one  has 
ever  yet  proposed  a  reform  of  the  English  law. 

In  the  United  States  a  not  unusual  occurrence  is 
to  find  hastily-divorced  people  reconsidering  their 
position,  and  remarrying ;  nor  is  it  unusual  for  di- 
vorced persons  afterwards  to  meet  at  dinners  and 
other  social  functions  without  difficulty  or  restraint. 

I  heard  quite  recently  of  a  man,  whose  wife  had 
divorced  him,  meeting  her  six  months  afterwards 
on  an  Atlantic  steamer  bound  for  England,  both  still 
unmarried.  On  reaching  Liverpool  the  man  pro- 
cured a  special  licence ;  and  they  were  remarried, 
proceeded  to  London  together,  and  have  been  living 
in  agreement  ever  since. 

Another  subject  which  has  caused  a  great  deal 
of  remark  and  criticism  has  arisen  in  regard  to 
American  Women — particularly  those  having  large 
fortunes — who  marry  into  families  of  the  aristocracy 
in  England,  frequently  for  no  other  reason  than 
to  secure  a  title  and  a  money  settlement.  In  such 
cases  no  opportunities  have  occurred  for  study- 
ing each  other's  character,  and  there  can  be  little 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

wonder  at  differences  subsequently  arising.  I  do 
not  think  that  American  men  feel  specially  flattered 
that  the  wealthy  'Vomen  of  their  own  country  are 
anxious  to  marry  English  husbands  on  such  grounds 
as  I  have  mentioned.  At  all  events,  whatever  ad- 
vantages an  American  husband  may  be  able  to  offer 
his  wife,  a  title  is  not  one  of  them  ;  but  American 
men  are,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  more  thoughtful, 
considerate,  and  indulgent  than  English  or  Con- 
tinental husbands,  and  more  ready  to  allow  their 
wives  to  take  the  lead  in  such  social  functions  as 
interest  them,  and  bring  them  into  friendly  rivalry 
with  other  women  of  the  same  nationality. 

American  women  residing  in  London  with  their 
husbands  have  always  been  well  received.  They 
have  earned  a  distinct  reputation  for  the  smart- 
ness of  their  sayings  in  conversation,  and  they 
have  perhaps  more  vivacious  manners  than  English 
women.  There  would  be  great  difficulty  in  finding 
an  American  woman  who  would  be  prepared  to 
take  a  back  seat ;  and  if  she  were  placed  in  one, 
no  long  time  would  elapse  before  she  would  march 
into  a  front  one. 

Those  women  from  the  States  who  have  won  their 
way  to  distinction  or  fame  in  the  theatrical  or 
musical  world  are  very  popular  in  general  society  ; 
their  adaptability  and  amiability  are  possibly  the 
result  of  their  cosmopolitan  education. 

In  a  lecture  recently  given  in  London  by  an 
American,  she  remarked  that  she  was  frequently 
asked  if  American  girls  were  sent  to  England  for 

248 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

education.  Her  answer  was  that  they  were,  because 
"  England  had  much  to  give  for  their  spiritual  and 
physical  betterment.  A  less  personal  outlook,  mental 
poise,  calmer  nerves — only  environment,  could  ac- 
complish these.  If  the  English  and  American  tem- 
perament could  be  rolled  into  one,  the  combination 
would  be  unequalled."  Another  lady  on  the  same 
occasion  declared  that  "the  matrimonial  alliance 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  was 
often  spoken  of  vulgarly  as  a  union  of  titles  and 
dollars.  In  the  large  majority  of  cases,  however, 
there  were  no  titles,  and  not  enough  dollars  to  talk 
about." 

In  my  opinion,  American  girls  can  never  rival  the 
English  in  physical  exercises  and  field  sports,  although 
a  few  American  ladies  have  recently  achieved  con- 
siderable success  at  lawn  tennis,  golf,  and  hockey. 
Still,  the  English  have  a  better  physical  development, 
and,  what  is  still  more  to  the  point,  less  nerves. 
What  is  known  as  the  American  headache  does  not, 
so  far  as  my  observation  has  gone,  attack  the  British 
Maiden  or  Matron  to  the  same  extent  as  those  of  the 
United  States.  Probably  the  true  ground  of  this  is 
that  Americans  of  the  gentler  sex,  are  less  careful 
in  the  selection  of  diet,  and  take  less  exercise,  than 
those  of  the  British  Isles. 

One  thing  I  cannot  overlook  is  the  difference 
between  American  and  English  children.  The  pre- 
cocity of  American  children  is  noticed,  not  because 
they  are  brighter  or  more  clever  than  English  children, 
but  arises  from  the  fact  that  their  parents  allow  them 

249 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

to  assemble  with  their  elders,  and  do  not  place  them 
under  the  discipline  and  restrictions  of  English  youth. 
This  is  not  to  the  advantage  of  children  in  the  States. 
The  "  Buster  Brown"  small  boy  would  not  be  appre- 
ciated in  England. 

"  Tall  Talk,"  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  is  not 
practised  by  Americans  to  the  same  extent  as 
formerly.  People  realise  that  the  "discount"  taken 
off  an  extravagant  story  reduces  its  value  below  the 
real  truth.  The  English  habit  is  to  state  facts  ac- 
curately, unless  it  be  the  weight  of  a  fish  caught,  or 
the  number  of  brace  of  birds  shot  at  the  opening  day 
of  a  "shoot."  I  have  known  both  Americans  and 
English  to  sometimes  "  waver  a  little"  when  giving 
the  circulation  of  a  newspaper  ! 

In  the  matter  of  conversation,  however,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  whatever  that  American  ladies  eclipse 
their  British  sisters  in  brilliant  talk,  in  the  piquancy 
of  their  observations,  and  in  their  astonishing  com- 
mand of  slang.  In  regard  to  the  latter,  it  is 
nothing  unusual  in  England  to  hear  American  girls 
introducing  innocent  English  slang  into  their  con- 
versation ;  while  the  English  now  just  as  frequently 
catch  at  and  adopt  humorous  American  phrases. 
The  most  taking  expressions  of  society  are  readily 
taken  up  by  young  ladies  on  each  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
A  woman  of  education,  however,  on  either  side  en- 
tirely avoids  any  approach  to  coarseness. 

I  have  observed  in  my  long  residence  in  England 
that  upon  the  advent  of  American  families  the  women 
more  readily  adapt  themselves  to  English  customs 

350 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

than  the  men  ;  and  though  this  may  be  unpatriotic 
to  say,  yet  the  truth  is  that  the  longer  the  residence 
in  England  the  greater  becomes  the  attachment  to 
the  mother  country. 

During  the  first  year  of  my  residence  in  London 
my  wife  and  I  were  living  in  Upper  Woburn  Place. 
This  was  in  the  early  spring,  when  the  weather  was 
foggy,  chilly,  and  wet,  day  after  day,  producing  a  most 
desponding  feeling,  and  keeping  us  completely  house- 
bound, and  we  could  scarcely  see  across  the  road. 
However,  to  get  a  change  I  took  a  Hansom,  and  my 
wife  and  I  were  driven  slowly  into  the  heart  of  the 
city.  There  was  gloom  on  every  hand  ;  pedestrians 
slowly  pacing  the  side  paths  ;  vehicles  more  slowly 
crawling  along  the  streets.  Just  as  we  reached  the 
Mansion  House  the  fog  lifted,  and  disappeared,  just 
like  the  raising  of  the  curtain  at  a  theatre,  upon  a 
brilliant  scene.  Sunshine  flooded  the  streets  and 
buildings,  and  my  wife,  turning  her  head  to  the  left, 
read  aloud  the  words  on  the  facade  of  the  Royal 
Exchange:  "The  Earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fulness 
thereof."  "That  is  true,"  she  exclaimed,  "and,  there- 
fore, I  am  content  to  stay  in  London." 

The  nearest  approach  to  an  American  winter  which 
I  ever  experienced  in  London  was  in  1882,  when  a 
terrific  snowstorm  raged  over  the  metropolis.  Wind 
and  snow  mercilessly  fought  together,  until  in  all  the 
principal  thoroughfares,  like  Regent  Street,  the  Strand, 
and  Oxford  Street,  on  the  one  side  or  the  other,  the 
drifted  snow  stood  in  banks  eight  or  ten  feet  in  height. 
Every  vehicle  was  withdrawn,  not  only  on  the  day 

251 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

of  the  storm,  but  upon  the  following  day  also,  and 
only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  could  one  get  from 
one  part  of  London  to  another.  Weeks  elapsed 
before  the  snowstorm  wholly  disappeared,  because  the 
whole  had  to  be  carted  away,  and  deposited  in  the 
parks,  on  all  waste  ground,  or  thrown  into  the  Thames 
from  the  Embankment.  London  at  that  time  was 
not  prepared  to  cope  with  such  an  emergency, 
and  had  not  such  an  army  of  scavengers  as  she  now 
possesses. 

As  soon  as  any  traffic  could  be  carried  on  cabs 
(four-wheelers)  appeared  with  two  horses  driven  tandem 
fashion,  and  they  were  quickly  followed  by  Hansom 
cabs  with  the  same  outfit.  Omnibuses  required  the 
assistance  of  three  or  four  horses  to  get  along  the 
streets,  even  at  a  very  slow  pace,  and  fares  were 
doubled  and  quadrupled,  in  every  direction. 

The  loss  to  the  shopping  community  and  to  the 
proprietors  or  lessees  of  the  theatres  and  music  halls 
was  immense.  At  one  theatre  which  opened  doors 
at  this  period  four  people  were  counted  in  the  stalls. 

There  was  one  American  in  London  at  this  time 
who  was  the  owner  of  a  cutter  (known  as  a  sleigh 
in  England) — and  this  was  "Pony"  Moore,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Moore  and  Burgess  Minstrels.  He 
created  immense  excitement  in  all  parts  of  the  metrop- 
olis by  driving  the  cutter  through  Regent  Street, 
Bond  Street,  Piccadilly,  and  in  Hyde  Park,  where  he 
met  with  a  right  royal  reception.  This  cutter  he  had 
imported  ten  years  previously,  and  kept  in  his  stables, 
awaiting  a  favourable  opportunity  for  use.  This  came 

252 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

at  last,  but,  of  course,  his  triumph  only  lasted  for  a 
few  days. 

Snow  does  fall  to  a  certain  extent  in  many  parts 
of  England  every  winter,  and  interferes  frequently 
with  railway  and  road  traffic  ;  but  so  far  as  London 
proper  is  concerned  the  interference  is  only  a  question 
of  a  few  hours  as  a  rule — the  storm  of  1882  was 
altogether  exceptional. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Commercial  Monopolies — The  Presidential  Platform,  1904 — No  Loyal  or 
Patriotic  Toasts  at  Banquets  in  the  States — "  Our  Beggar-Pedlar 
Bouncer  is  in" — Mock  Auctions  and  Barkers — Camp  Meetings — 
Story  by  Sir  John  Millais — Mr  Birch  and  his  Work — Mrs  Jemima 
Luke  —  Conductors  on  Railways  —  Art  of  Criticism  —  Luck — 
Precedents. 

PROBABLY  no  organisation  and  combination  of  men 
has  created  greater  surprise  in  England  amongst 
commercial  men  than  the  operations  of  Com- 
mercial Monopolies.  The  question  of  their  very 
existence  formed  part  of  the  platform  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  in  the  United  States,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  Republican  section,  at  the  last  Presidential 
Election  in  1904.  Their  respective  views  were  set 
forth  in  the  following  terms  : — 

THE  DEMOCRATIC  PLATFORM 

Trusts  and  Unlawful  Combinations. — We  recognise  that  the  gigantic 
trusts  and  combinations  designed  to  enable  capital  to  secure  more  than 
its  just  share  of  the  joint  products  of  capital  and  labour,  and  which  have 
been  fostered  and  promoted  under  Republican  rule,  are  a  menace  to 
beneficial  competition  and  an  obstacle  to  permanent  business  prosperity. 
A  private  monopoly  is  indefensible  and  intolerable.  Individual  equality 
of  opportunity  and  free  competition  are  essential  to  a  healthy  and  per- 
manent commercial  prosperity,  and  any  trust  or  monopoly  tending  to 
destroy  these  by  controlling  production,  restricting  competition  or  fixing 
prices,  should  be  prohibited  and  punished  by  law.  We  especially 
denounce  rebates  and  discrimination  by  transportation  companies,  as 
the  most  potent  agency  in  promoting  and  strengthening  these  unlawful 
conspiracies  against  trade. 

254 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

THE  REPUBLICAN  PLATFORM 

Anti-trust  Laws  enforced. — Laws  enacted  by  the  Republican  party 
which  the  Democratic  party  failed  to  enforce,  and  which  were  intended 
for  the  protection  of  the  public  against  the  unjust  discrimination  or  the 
illegal  encroachment  of  vast  aggregations  of  capital,  have  been  fearlessly 
enforced  by  a  Republican  President,  and  new  laws  insuring  reasonable 
publicity  as  to  the  operations  of  great  corporations,  and  providing  addi- 
tional remedies  for  the  prevention  of  discrimination  in  freight  rates,  have 
been  passed  by  a  Republican  Congress. 

The  President  was  elected  on  the  basis  of  the 
"  Anti-trust  Laws  "  being  enforced.  This  formed 
the  strongest  plank  in  his  platform,  and  as  he  re- 
ceived the  largest  number  of  votes,  ever  cast  at  a 
Presidential  Election,  the  will  of  the  American  people 
has  been  pronounced  upon  the  question. 

In  the  States  a  man  does  not  usually  make  a  settle- 
ment upon  his  wife  at  marriage,  in  whatever  position 
of  life  they  may  move.  An  American  would  resent 
any  such  suggestion  being  made  to  him  by  the 
parents  of  his  intended  bride.  A  father  who  was 
in  a  position  to  do  so  would  of  his  own  accord  say  : 
"  I  shall  allow  my  daughter  so  much  per  annum  "  ; 
but  he  would  not  enter  into  any  bond  to  that  effect, 
nor  allow  any  investment  to  be  made  in  trust  for  that 
purpose.  He  would  consider  his  promise  as  sufficient, 
and  the  fulfilment  as  morally  binding  upon  him.  Nor 
does  the  father  ask  his  future  son-in-law,  to  make  any 
settlement  upon  his  daughter.  His  consent  to  the 
marriage  would  be  difficult  to  obtain  if  the  man  were 
not  in  some  substantial  way  of  business,  and  in  a 
position  to  maintain  a  wife — not  on  the  scale  of  what 
the  parents  were  then  living,  but  on  that  upon  which 

255 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

they  commenced  life  themselves.  Every  encourage- 
ment is  given  to  make  people  self-dependent,  and  the 
parents  would  not  be  expected  to  contribute  towards 
the  maintenance  of  those  married,  save  under  excep- 
tional circumstances  arising  after  marriage. 

At  public  dinners  in  the  United  States  Toasts  are, 
of  course,  given  ;  but  the  health  of  the  President  is  not 
an  established  rule,  nor  that  of  the  Army  and  Navy, 
nor  the  Houses  of  Congress.  At  the  end  of  a  banquet 
the  usual  custom  is  to  sing  "  Home,  sweet  home." 

Hawkers  and  Pedlars  are  allowed  to  ply  their 
trades  in  the  public  streets.  They  usually  sell 
eatables  of  all  kinds — fruit,  ice-cream  and  nuts.  So 
long  as  they  do  not  obstruct  the  footway  they  are 
not  interfered  with.  These  men  may  stand  on  one 
spot  all  day  long  if  they  choose  ;  and  men  are  allowed 
to  use  a  small  hand-cart,  upon  which  to  carry  the  food 
they  sell,  and  they  may  sell  hot  cakes  and  potatoes. 
Until  the  last  few  years  they  were  allowed  to  enter 
the  largest  warehouses,  banks,  and  offices  quite  un- 
restricted, and  peddle  stationery  and  jewellery,  and 
canvass  for  books  or  pictures  ;  but  this  became  such  a 
nuisance  by  the  interference  caused  to  business,  that 
merchants  universally  adopted  a  plan  to  keep  them  out. 
This  was  to  suspend  a  large  placard  at  the  entrance  to 
the  place  of  business,  on  which  was  printed  in  large 
letters  : 

-OUR  BEGGAR  AND  PEDLAR  BOUNCER 

IS  IN" 

This  was  an  effectual  cure. 

256 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Another  privilege  allowed  to  pushing  shopkeepers 
in  districts  where  cheap  goods  are  sold  is  to  hold 
mock  auctions  for  the  disposal  of  clothing,  jewellery, 
and  watches.  The  man  who  stands  at  the  door  of 
the  shop  is  called  a  "barker,"  because,  in  addition 
to  calling  out  his  master's  wares,  he  utters  a  growl 
like  a  dog  to  attract  the  attention  of  passers-by. 
The  "  barkers "  become  very  proficient,  and  appear 
to  be  possessed  of  lungs  as  powerful  as  a  church 
organ. 

Out-of-door  preaching  on  Sunday  or  week-day  is 
of  very  rare  occurrence  ;  but,  in  the  summer,  enormous 
camp  meetings  are  held  in  country  places,  where 
religious  meetings  are  held  continually  for  weeks  at 
a  time,  the  promoters  and  worshippers  living  under 
canvas.  I  am  not  able  to  say  that  camp  meetings 
are  very  seriously  taken  by  any  class  of  the  com- 
munity ;  and  they  are  generally  regarded  as  pleasant 
holiday  picnics. 

A  Town-Crier  is  unknown  in  the  United  States. 
There  is  no  opening  for  the  services  of  such  a  per- 
sonage, and  all  lost  goods  are  forthwith  advertised. 
There  is  no  official  proclamation  made  by  Criers,  even 
of  the  election  of  a  new  President :  the  fact  is 
announced  by  newspapers. 

During  my  residence  in  London  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  many  of  the  most  celebrated 
artists  and  sculptors  of  the  day.  What  is  called 
"  Show  Sunday,"  which  comes  before  the  opening 
of  the  Royal  Academy,  is  generally  the  occasion 
when  artists  and  sculptors  send  round  invitations  to 
R  257 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

friends  and  dealers  to  inspect  the  work  which  they 
have  prepared  for  exhibition,  and  on  these  occa- 
sions highly  interesting  parties  are  given  in  the 
studios. 

Upon  one  occasion,  through  the  good  offices  of  Mr 
C.  B.  Birch,  A.R.A.,  the  sculptor,  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  being  present  at  a  banquet  held  by  the  Royal 
Academicians  at  the  Old  Ship  Inn,  Greenwich.  Sir 
John  Millais,  the  President,  was  in  the  chair,  and  he 
was  surrounded  by  the  leading  Academicians  of  the 
day.  There  was  an  entire  absence  of  formality 
which  was  pleasant  to  notice.  The  chairman  smoked 
a  short  briar-wood  pipe  after  the  loyal  toasts  had  been 
given  ;  and  his  example  was  followed  by  many  of  the 
R.A.'s  present.  Upon  this  occasion  I  had  the  rare 
opportunity  of  hearing  from  the  artists  themselves  a 
relation  of  their  experiences  in  the  struggle  to  secure 
a  footing  in  the  art  world. 

The  chairman  told  in  graphic  language  the  story 
of  his  early  life.  He  said  when  he  first  began  the 
practice  of  his  art,  his  mother  was  keeping  the  home 
together,  and,  as  their  means  became  very  restricted, 
she  obtained  his  reluctant  consent  to  put  in  their 
front  window  a  card  with  the  words  "  Lodgings  to 
let "  thereon,  as  there  was  one  room  which  was 
unoccupied.  His  consent  was  given  about  a  fort- 
night before  Show  Sunday.  Having  completed  two 
pictures,  he  invited  such  friends  as  he  knew,  and  also 
some  dealers,  to  see  them.  Three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  of  Show  Sunday  came,  and  no  visitors  had 
appeared  ;  but  at  four  a  gentleman  arrived,  and  asked 

258 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

to  see  the  pictures.  He  examined  them  carefully,  but 
showed  no  particular  interest,  though  when  about  to 
leave  he  asked  for  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  and  permission 
to  sit  down  that  he  might  write  a  memorandum. 
After  doing  this  he  got  up,  and  after  remarking  that 
he  had  left  an  address  inside  the  book  which  lay  on 
the  table,  and  if  the  pictures  were  not  sold  before 
"sending-in  "  day,  he  should  like  to  hear  from  Millais, 
he  took  his  departure.  Upon  opening  the  book  he 
found  inside  a  cheque  for  200  guineas,  signed  "  John 
Ruskin."  There  were  also  a  few  lines  in  high  terms 
of  praise  of  the  work,  and  asking  the  privilege  of 
being  allowed  to  purchase  the  pictures  for  the  sum 
he  had  enclosed.  He  was  so  overcome  with  his 
good  fortune  that  he  sank  down  on  the  chair,  and 
did  not  recover  himself  for  several  moments.  When 
he  did,  however,  the  first  thing  he  thought  of  was  the 
notice  in  the  front  room  window,  and  dashing  in,  he 
tore  down  the  objectionable  notice,  and  then  hastened 
to  his  mother  to  receive  her  congratulations.  He 
assured  his  brother  Academicians  that  he  had  never 
mentioned  the  circumstance  in  public  before,  and  he 
added  that  from  that  day,  he  had  not  known  any  of 
the  pinching  distress  in  the  matter  of  rent-paying  or 
domestic  expenses  which  he  had  previously  endured. 
Yet,  at  that  period,  he  had  never  received  more  than 
^15  for  any  work  of  his. 

At  this  same  dinner  a  song  was  sung  by  Mr  Vicat 
Cole,  R.A.  (who  was  constantly  addressed  by  his 
fellow  Academicians  as  "Old  King  Cole").  The 
song  was  of  a  convivial  character. 

259 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

The  Old  Ship  is  famous  as  the  scene  of  many  im- 
portant Ministerial  White-bait  dinners,  and,  in  the 
season,  was  also  noted  for  the  fish  dinners  which  were 
served  there — eight  or  ten  different  kinds  of  fish  being 
cooked  in  as  many  different  ways,  and  served  with 
vegetables,  and  plenty  of  good  wine. 

In  1889  a  large  bazaar  was  organised  on  behalf  of 
the  British  and  Foreign  Sailors'  Society,  to  be  held  at 
the  Cannon  Street  Hotel,  and  the  ladies  of  the  City 
Temple  were  asked  to  take  part  therein  At  the 
time,  Mrs  Richards  conceived  the  idea  that  if  we 
could  obtain  a  good  portrait  of  Mrs  Jemima  Luke, 
the  authoress  of  the  beautiful  hymn,  "  I  think  when 
I  read  that  sweet  story  of  old,"  signed  by  her,  and 
obtain  a  facsimile  of  the  words  in  her  own  handwrit- 
ing, they  would  form  an  interesting  feature  of  the  sale. 
Mrs  Luke's  father  was  one  of  the  founders  of  British 
and  Foreign  Sailors'  Society.  I  agreed,  and  my  wife 
thereupon  set  upon  the  task  of  finding  out  the  dis- 
tinguished lady's  address.  This  was,  however,  no 
light  task,  and  after  many  inquiries  and  much  pursuit, 
the  real  address  was  found  only  a  week  before  the 
day  for  opening  the  bazaar.  She  was  then  residing, 
as  she  is  now,  at  Newport,  Isle  of  Wight.  My  wife 
posted  off  there,  was  admitted  to  see  Mrs  Luke,  who 
was  then  in  her  eighty-second  year,  and  obtained  from 
her  permission  to  have  her  portrait  on  sale,  and  she 
gladly  wrote  down  the  famous  words  in  her  own  hand- 
writing for  reproduction  and  sale.  The  result  was  most 
satisfactory,  and  a  great  sale  of  portraits  and  hymns 
took  place. 

260 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

This  particular  Hymn  had  been  more  particularly 
brought  to  our  notice  by  the  fact  that  two  little 
American  girls  once  sang  the  words  very  sweetly 
at  the  morning  service  in  the  City  Temple.  The 
children  also  sang  the  same  hymn  at  the  bazaar  in 
the  Cannon  Street  Hotel,  when  they  received  great 
applause. 

The  fact  is  singular  that  there  also  resides  at 
Newport  the  author  of  another  child's  hymn,  which, 
though  not  so  popular  as  Mrs  Luke's,  has,  neverthe- 
less, been  sung  in  every  Sunday  school  of  England 
and  the  United  States:  "There's  a  place  for  little 
children,  above  the  bright  blue  sky." 

About  the  same  time  these  little  American  girls 
sang  at  the  City  Temple  there  came  to  London  two 
small  African  boys,  under  the  care  of  a  missionary, 
to  sing,  with  a  view  of  raising  funds  to  erect  a  school 
for  native  children  in  Natal.  These  lads  heard  the 
American  girls  sing  Mrs  Luke's  hymn,  and  immedi- 
ately set  to  work  to  learn  the  same  hymn,  and  after- 
wards sang  the  same  with  great  effect  in  the  City 
Temple,  and  throughout  England. 

Amongst  the  trifling  differences  of  custom  in  every- 
day things  which  attracts  attention  on  arrival  in 
England  is  the  varying  method  of  despatching  a 
train.  In  the  States,  the  conductors  who  have  charge 
of  trains  give  the  cue  to  the  passengers  by  calling  out 
"All  aboard,"  and  not  in  a  too  polite  tone  of  voice. 
But  the  signal  is  well  understood,  and  there  is  no 
loitering  upon  the  platform  after  the  words  are  heard. 
In  England,  however,  the  guard  calls  out :  "  Please 

261 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

take  your  places."  The  difference  illustrates  the 
temper  of  the  people  in  both  nations. 

Mr  Birch,  who  was  my  host  at  the  Academy  dinner 
at  the  Ship,  executed  a  bust  of  Dr  Parker,  the  cost 
of  which  was  defrayed  by  private  subscription,  mainly 
through  the  efforts  of  Mrs  Richards.  This  was  de- 
clared to  be,  by  all  who  knew  the  Doctor,  an  excellent 
portrait,  and  a  thorough  work  of  art.  This  now 
stands  in  the  vestibule  of  the  City  Temple,  having 
been  bequeathed  to  the  deacons  and  trustees  by  Dr 
Parker.  Mr  Birch  also  sculptured  a  bust  of  Mrs 
Richards,  which  members  of  the  family  and  friends 
regard  as  an  excellent  likeness. 

In  1890  Mr  Birch  exhibited  in  the  Academy  a 
model  in  plaster  of  Margaret  Wilson,  the  Puritan 
Martyr  who  was  fastened  to  a  stake  in  the  River 
Solway,  and  drowned  by  the  rising  tide. 

The  story  is  so  interesting  and  pathetic  that  I  offer 
no  apology  for  telling  it. 

In  the  reign  of  James  II.  of  England,  nth  May 
1685,  two  women,  Margaret  Maclachlan  and  Margaret 
Wilson,  the  former  an  aged  widow,  the  latter  a 
maiden  of  eighteen,  suffered  death  for  their  religion 
in  Wigtonshire.  They  were  offered  their  lives  if 
they  would  consent  to  abjure  the  cause  of  the 
insurgent  Covenanters  and  attend  the  Episcopal 
worship.  They  refused,  and  were  sentenced  to  be 
drowned.  They  were  conveyed  to  a  spot  where 
the  Solway  overflows  twice  a  day,  and  were  fastened 
to  stakes  forced  in  the  sand  between  the  high  and 
low  water  mark.  The  elder  sufferer  was  placed  near 

262 


MARGARET    WILSON,    THE    PURITAN    MARTYR. 

Life  size  Figure  in  Marble,  by  C.  E.  Birch,  A.E.A. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

to  the  advancing  flood,  in  the  hope  that  her  last 
agonies  might  terrify  the  younger  into  submission. 
The  sight  was  dreadful.  But  the  courage  of  the 
survivor  was  sustained  by  an  enthusiasm  as  lofty  as 
any  that  is  recorded  in  martyrology.  She  saw  the 
sea  draw  nearer  and  nearer,  but  gave  no  sign  of 
alarm.  She  prayed  and  sang  verses  of  the  Psalms 
till  the  waves  choked  her  voice.  After  she  had 
tasted  the  bitterness  of  death  she  was,  by  a  cruel 
mercy,  unbound,  and  restored  to  life.  When  she  came 
to  herself,  pitying  friends  and  neighbours  implored 
her  to  yield.  "  Dear  Margaret,  only  say  :  '  God  save 
the  King ! ' '  The  poor  girl,  true  to  her  stern  theology, 
gasped  out :  "  May  God  save  him,  if  it  be  God's 
will ! "  Her  friends  crowded  around  the  presiding 
officer.  "  She  has  said  it ;  indeed,  sir,  she  has  said 
it."  "Will  she  take  the  abjuration?"  he  demanded. 
"Never!"  she  exclaimed.  "I  am  Christ's;  let  me 
go!"  And  the  waters  closed  over  her  for  the  last  time. 
The  name  of  Margaret  Wilson,  in  the  churchyard 
at  Wigton,  appears  in  the  appendix  to  "Cloud  of 
Witnesses  "  : 

"  Murdered  for  owning  Christ  supreme, 
Head  of  His  Church,  and  no  more  crime, 
But  her  not  owning  Prelacy, 
And  not  abjuring  Presbytery, 
Within  the  sea  tied  to  a  stake, 
She  suffered  for  Christ  Jesus'  sake." 

The  subject — a  painful  one — became,  in  the  hands 
of    Mr    Birch,     a    masterpiece     of   exalted    heroism 

263 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

in  the  moment  of  death,  and  as  such  was  greatly 
admired  by  all  critics.  I  gave  the  talented  sculptor  a 
commission  to  execute  the  work  life  size  in  marble,  and 
in  little  over  a  year  he  completed  the  statue,  which 
I  regard  as  one  of  my  most  precious  possessions. 

Mr  Birch  died  quite  suddenly  ten  years  ago.  Had 
he  lived  he  would,  no  doubt,  have  greatly  advanced 
his  reputation  as  a  sculptor  of  refined  taste. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  visits  I  ever  paid  to 
the  Royal  Academy  and  to  the  New  Gallery  was 
in  the  company  of  a  well-known  painter  of  Biblical 
subjects.  He  took  the  greatest  pains  to  point  out 
to  me  the  most  telling  points  in  the  best  paintings 
of  both  galleries,  and  laid  down  for  my  instruction 
the  principles  of  correct  art  criticism,  which  I  had 
never  before  properly  appreciated.  This  knowledge 
alone  enables  one  to  distinguish  between  meritricious 
work  and  the  creation  of  genius. 

Of  American  writers  and  novelists  a  long  roll  of 
distinguished  names  confront  me,  both  men  and 
women,  with  an  international  reputation,  and  with 
as  large  a  public  interested  in  their  works  in  this 
country  as  in  their  own  land.  To  particularise  would 
be  invidious.  The  works  of  American  poets,  his- 
torians, biographers  and  essayists,  writers  of  fiction, 
dialect  stories,  humorous  works — all  of  such  as  have 
achieved  renown  in  their  own  country  have  been 
equally  appreciated  in  England.  International 
Copyright  Laws,  happily,  have  passed  for  protec- 
tion. During  my  proprietorship  of  The  Academy, 
I  had  often  the  pleasure  of  hearing  American 

264 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

authors  express  high  appreciation  of  English  literary 
criticism. 

The  expressions  "Good  Luck"  and  "Bad  Luck" 
fall  very  glibly  from  the  tongue,  but  they  represent  no 
principles  which  have  any  existence  in  fact ;  they  have 
no  meaning  as  determining  the  source  of  success  or 
failure.  Change  the  phrases  into  "good  work"  and 
"bad  work,"  and  you  have  a  substantial  explanation 
of  "  good  "  and  "  bad  "  luck. 

Some  people  apparently  fail  in  everything  which 
they  undertake,  and  others  seem  to  prosper  in  every- 
thing which  they  enter  upon.  There  is  no  mystery 
about  either  success  or  failure.  I  have  never  had  a 
complaint  made  to  me  of  "bad  luck"  but  that,  after 
hearing  details,  I  could  trace  the  cause  of  failure. 
Some  men  have,  unfortunately  for  themselves,  got  the 
word  "unlucky"  attached  to  their  character,  and  are 
consequently  handicapped  in  every  one  of  their  under- 
takings beforehand,  and  feel  unable  to  make  the  great 
effort  necessary  to  ensure  success.  Men  who  have 
this  reputation  find  a  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  remuner- 
ative appointment,  because  they  are  perpetually  faced 
with  the  proverb  :  "  Never  have  anything  to  do  with 
unlucky  men." 

The  truth  is  that  an  unlucky  man  is  one  who  is 
entirely  responsible  for  his  own  bad  luck.  If  nerve, 
energy,  and  exertion  had  been  brought  to  bear  upon 
his  work  there  would  have  been  no  failure.  I  am 
not  speaking  of  those  who  have  been  unfortunate 
through  ill-health,  or  unexpected  cares  and  respon- 
sibilities being  cast  upon  them  —  I  refer  more 

265 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

particularly  to  those  who  admit  that  they  have  had 
chances  in  life,  but  that  bad  luck  pursued  them,  and 
nothing  good  happened. 

On  the  lines  of  non-success  and  failure  I  place  as 
the  most  serious  of  reasons — assuming  that  there 
exist  the  qualities  of  insight  and  intelligence — un- 
punctuality,  vacillation,  or  indecision ;  and  lack  of 
concentrated  industry  and  perseverance.  The  un- 
punctual  man  is  simply  impossible,  and  no  amount 
of  excuses  can  redeem  this  fault.  "  Talking  through 
your  hat,"  with  vague,  indefinite  answers,  always 
exasperates,  to  the  prejudice  of  one's  proposition. 
Indolence,  and  no  continuity  of  purpose,  will  ex- 
plain many  a  failure. 

Another  point  to  be  remembered  in  connection 
with  success  or  failure  is  the  mistaken  policy  of 
people  who  will  not  undertake  any  work  which  is 
not  congenial,  or  work  in  which  they  are  not  inter- 
ested. A  man  out  of  employment  must  take  the 
first  respectable  work  which  is  offered  him,  and  not 
many  days  will  elapse  before  something  more  suitable 
to  his  abilites  will  come  in  his  way.  The  waiting 
for  things  to  turn  up,  and  doing  nothing  meanwhile, 
is  the  cause  of  disaster  to  thousands. 

The  subject  of  precedents  frequently  hinders  suc- 
cessful business  operations  from  being  brought  to  a 
successful  completion.  You  can  rarely  escape  from 
a  difficulty  by  following  precedents.  Because  a  thing 
which  has  been  proposed  has  not  been  done  before, 
merchants  frequently  decline  really  good  and  sub- 
stantial business.  An  American,  on  the  other  hand, 

266 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

is  always  ready  to  consider  any  business  proposition, 
whether  there  is  a  precedent  for  the  transaction  or 
not.  He  will  decide  the  matter  upon  the  question 
of  merit  alone,  and  not  upon  the  ground  that  his 
grandfather  did,  or  did  not  do,  a  similar  thing  before 
him. 

I  am  able  to  record,  however,  several  remarkable 
successes  of  Englishmen  in  becoming  Universal  Pro- 
viders, and  in  the  Establishment  of  "  Stores  "  and 
Co-operative  Trading  for  which  there  was  no  pre- 
cedent until  they  set  the  example.    "  John  Bull  "  has 
certainly    eclipsed    "  Jonathan "   in   one    branch   of 
trading  with  which  I  have  been  associated.  American 
and  British  Proprietors  have  good  reason  to  appre- 
ciate  the   enterprise'  and  genius  of  Jesse   Boot,  of 
Nottingham,  by  whose  wise  judgment  and  untiring 
devotion  to  work  350  chemist's  shops  of  the  highest 
class  have  been  established  in  Great  Britain  for  the 
dispensing  of  Pure  Drugs  at  popular  prices  and  the 
distribution  of  all  wares  belonging  to  a   Chemist* 
business.       How    was    this     accomplished  ?      The 
answer   is,   by  a  personality  !    a   master   mind   for 
organisation  !     But  it  is  "  Boots,  Limited,"  a  public 
Company  ;   yes  !    there  is,  however,  but  one  Manag- 
ing Director !   The  One  Man  authority  :  the  triumph 
of  personal    direction — unhampered  by  a  "  Board  ' 
and  a  u  Committee."     Other  chemists'  organisations 
of  suitable  character  with  important  branches  exist 
in  England,  but  Mr.  Boot  was  the  pioneer — just  as 
William   Whiteley  was  the  original  Universal  Pro- 
vider. 

267 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Solicitors,  Barristers,  and  Attorneys-at-Law — Bills  of  Costs — Judges  in 
England  and  United  States — Medical  Men — Fire  Brigades — 
Management  of  Street  Traffic — Bank  of  England — General  Post 
Office — Holidays — Waste  caused  in  England — Bicycles  and  Tri- 
cycles —  Freemasons  —  Clubs  —  The  Sphinx  Club  —  Circulating 
Libraries—  The  Times  Book  Club— Patents — Motors. 

IN  England  there  are  two  branches  of  the  law,  repre- 
sented by  Solicitors  and  Barristers  ;  whereas  in  the 
United  States  there  is  only  one  branch.  The  solicitor 
in  the  States  is  usually  styled  Attorney  and  Counsellor- 
at-law,  and  he  not  only  prepares  the  case,  but  re- 
presents the  plaintiff  or  defendant  in  court.  What 
usually  happens,  however,  is  this.  Two  or  more 
Attorneys  form  a  partnership,  and  they  select  from 
amongst  themselves  the  one  who  will  best  represent 
the  firm  by  pleading  in  open  court,  the  consulting 
partner  seeing  the  clients  and  their  witnesses,  and 
preparing  the  brief. 

In  England  the  barrister  is  the  only  one  who 
pleads  in  the  High  Courts,  and  the  solicitor  prepares 
the  case  for  him.  The  barrister  does  not  directly 
see  the  client  himself,  until  he  appears  in  court.  So 
carefully  are  cases  prepared  that  not  unusually  a 
barrister  has  a  brief  handed  to  him  only  a  few  minutes 
before  the  case  is  called,  and  by  his  experience  in 
examining  briefs  he  is  able  at  once  to  master  the 
contents,  and  to  grasp  the  points,  and  proceed  without 

268 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

difficulty.  This  duplicating  of  legal  services  adds,  of 
course,  to  the  expenses  of  legal  proceedings.  An 
important  case  would  always  involve  the  briefing  of 
a  senior  as  well  as  a  junior  counsel,  and  when  there 
are  two  or  three  parties  to  a  suit  each  must  be  re- 
presented by  Counsel,  senior  or  junior. 

In  the  United  States  the  Attorney  carries  the  whole 
business  through  all  the  courts.  Wigs  and  gowns 
are  not  worn. 

In  rendering  the  Bill  of  Costs  in  the  States, 
attorneys  do  not  present  them  in  detail,  but  put 
down  one  sum  for  the  whole  business.  Frequently, 
in  important  cases,  a  retaining  fee  is  paid  to  the 
Attorney,  but  credit  is  given  for  this  when  making 
up  the  final  account. 

Many  of  my  American  legal  friends  have  been 
much  amused  at  seeing  an  English  solicitor's  bill  of 
costs,  setting  forth  every  interview  had,  and  every 
letter  written,  at  6s.  8d.  —  whole  pages  of  fool- 
scap being  taken  up  with  the  setting  out  of  these 
items. 

In  the  United  States  Judges  are  not  appointed  for 
life ;  and  there  is  no  pension  upon  retirement,  the  period 
of  service  being  limited  to  fifteen  years.  In  England 
a  Judge  selects  his  own  time  for  retiring,  and  receives 
a  pension.  A  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New 
York  receives  from  10,000  to  15,000  dollars  a  year, 
the  sum  varying  according  to  the  particular  district  in 
which  he  sits.  Those  sitting  for  the  city  and  county 
of  New  York  have  the  largest  salaries.  A  judge 
of  the  High  Court  in  England  receives  a  salary  of 

269 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

^"5000,  and  upon  retirement  a  pension  amounting 
to  ,£2500,  a  year. 

In  reference  to  the  practice  of  Medicine  in  England, 
no  man  may  style  himself  a  "doctor"  unless  he  has 
passed  the  examinations  prescribed  by  the  Royal 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  Surgeons,  as 
a  rule,  prefer  to  be  called  "  Mr.,"  and,  therefore,  rarely 
take  the  M.D.  degree.  Prosecutions  frequently  take 
place  of  unauthorised  persons  styling  themselves 
"  doctors."  In  England  no  one  can  obtain  the 
degree  of  M.D.  who  has  not  gone  through  a  proper 
course  of  study  and  hospital  experience  ;  but  in  the 
United  States  there  is  no  difficulty  about  obtaining 
this  degree,  nor  is  there  any  objection  to  any  man 
calling  himself  "  doctor,"  if  he  thinks  fit  to  do  so. 
A  great  many  retail  chemists  in  the  States  call  them- 
selves Doctors  ;  and  there  is  no  law  to  prevent  chemists 
prescribing. 

A  man  may  also  set  up  as  a  chemist  and  druggist, 
and  act  as  an  apothecary,  without  holding  any  degree 
whatever.  But,  notwithstanding  this,  chemists'  shops 
are  well  conducted,  and  more  elaborately  fitted  up 
and  appointed,  than  Chemists'  shops  in  England. 
Silver-mounted  showcases,  marble  floor  and  counters, 
are  usual  fittings ;  and  the  owners  have  studied 
properly,  and  understand  the  proper  methods  of  dis- 
pensing. They  are  responsible  in  law  for  any  evil 
result  following  upon  their  mode  of  prescribing  or 
dispensing  medicine. 

In  1871  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Dr  James 
Edmunds,  F.R.C.S.  London,  and  he  became  our 

270 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

family  physician  and  devoted  friend,  and  has  so  con- 
tinued to  this  day.  What  we  owe  of  gratitude  to 
Dr  Edmunds  for  his  professional  skill  and  services 
and  warm  friendly  interest  in  our  welfare,  at  all  times 
and  in  all  ways,  I  cannot  express  in  words.  Dr 
Edmunds  has  retired  from  active  practice,  and  has 
removed  from  London  to  Brighton,  but  still  attends 
upon  old  patients  and  friends  when  possible.  His 
plan  was  always  to  suggest  methods  to  "keep  well," 
and  he  was  never  a  doctor  who  believed  in  much 
coddling,  nor  was  he  disposed  to  order  narcotics  or 
spirits.  He  was  loth  to  recommend  sea  -  voyages, 
winters  in  Egypt,  or  the  Riviera.  His  sound  practi- 
cal advice  was  "  Get  well  at  home,"  where  favourable 
conditions  are  under  your  own  control,  such  as  good 
beds,  warmth,  food,  sanitation,  quiet,  and  nursing. 
"But  change  of  air?"  "Yes;  when  you  are  well, 
and  fit  to  travel,  and  can  put  up  with  the  self-denials 
involved  in  all  journeys  and  the  life  in  hotels."  Dr 
Edmunds  has  not  "Luke"  for  his  surname;  but  he 
is  known  as  "The  Good  Physician,"  to  hundreds  of 
American  and  English  families. 

Another  variation  upon  an  accepted  practice  in 
England  is  that  Members  of  both  Houses  of  Con- 
gress in  the  States  are  paid  a  per  diem  salary. 
A  Senator  receives  5000  dollars  per  annum,  and  a 
Member  of  Congress  5000  dollars.  In  addition  they 
are  allowed  mileage  expenses.  Members  of  both 
Houses  do  not  now  enjoy  the  privilege  of  "franking" 
letters  through  the  Post  Office. 

Members  of  the  British  Houses  of  Parliament 

271 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

enjoy  no  allowances  or  privileges  of  this  kind  what- 
ever. A  Member  of  Parliament  in  England  may  be 
elected  for  any  constituency  for  which  he  chooses 
to  stand,  and  he  decides  for  himself  whether  this  shall 
be  his  own  county  or  borough,  or  any  other  more 
distant.  As  an  example,  Mr  Gladstone  always  selected 
what  was  considered  the  most  difficult  constituency, 
in  order  that  he  might  in  this  way  strengthen  the 
political  party  to  which  he  belonged,  knowing  that 
he  could  really  get  in  through  any  constituency  he 
chose.  In  1880  he  chose  to  put  up  for  Mid-Lothian, 
in  the  south  of  Scotland,  a  strong  Tory  centre,  and 
which  was  sure  to  return  a  Conservative  Member 
unless  a  powerful  opponent  came  forward.  Mr  T.  P. 
O'Connor,  an  Irishman,  residing  in  London,  has 
represented  North  Liverpool  for  a  great  many  years  ; 
and  this  is  the  case  with  many  of  the  most  prominent 
members  of  the  House  of  Commons,  They  become 
identified  with  important  constituencies,  and  repre- 
sent them  year  after  year,  probably  only  paying  a 
visit  to  their  constituents,  and  making  a  speech,  once 
in  the  twelve  months. 

Members  of  Parliament  in  England  may  be  un- 
seated if  proof  is  given  that  they  have  directly  or 
indirectly  been  guilty  of  bribery  amongst  the  voters 
whom  they  represent.  The  employment  of  vehicles 
for  which  payment  has  to  be  made  is  illegal,  though 
many  voters  may  reside  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  polling  booth.  All  carriages  and  other 
vehicles  then  made  use  of  on  the  day  of  election, 
must  be  lent  free  of  cost  by  friends  of  the  cause. 

272 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Another  curious  matter  which  differs  from  the 
practice  in  the  United  States  is  that,  a  voter  may 
cast  his  vote  for  a  Member  of  Parliament  in  as  many 
different  constituencies,  as  he  pays  rates  and  taxes. 
A  Londoner  may  have  one  vote  in  the  suburb  in 
which  he  resides,  another  in  the  city  where  he 
carries  on  business  ;  and  yet  others  in  more  distant 
places  where  he  happens  to  pay  the  rent  and  the 
taxes. 

Any  Candidate  is  allowed  to  employ  and  pay 
a  Parliamentary  agent  to  act  for  him,  send  out 
circulars,  and  solicit  votes,  but  he  must  not  make 
any  monetary  payment  to  a  voter,  or  promise  any- 
thing of  the  kind.  Treating  at  public-houses  at 
election  time  is  also  prohibited  by  law.  Legitimate 
election  expenses  include  the  cost  of  Halls  for  meet- 
ings. But  this  is  well  known  :  that  any  independent 
candidate  for  Parliamentary  honours  is  afforded 
ample  opportunities  of  influencing  an  election  by 
the  subscriptions  and  donations  he  is  asked  for,  on 
behalf  of  all  sorts  of  local  schemes  for  raising  money 
for  bazaars,  charities,  hospitals,  and  athletic  sports. 

The  Fire  Brigade  service  in  London  I  once 
believed  to  be  as  perfect,  or  more  perfect,  than  any 
other  in  the  world.  But  my  faith  has  been  rudely 
shaken  by  the  declarations  of  Dr  Edward  Atkinson, 
who  ranks  as  one  of  the  greatest  experts  on  pro- 
tection from  fire  living  in  the  States.  I  shall  quote 
from  a  statement  made  by  him  to  a  representative 
of  The  Evening  Standard  and  St  James  s  Gazette, 
which  appeared  on  3rd  August.  He  has  studied 
s  273 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

the  question  of  protection  from  loss  of  life  and 
property  by  practical  observation ;  and  upon  his 
advice  several  precautionary  measures  were  taken 
for  the  better  security  of  the  art  treasures  in  the 
National  Gallery,  Trafalgar  Square.  A  further  im- 
provement he  suggests  is  the  substitution  of  "wire 
glass  for  ordinary  glass  in  all  the  upper  windows." 
This  is  as  important  for  use  in  Private  houses  and 
factories  as  in  Art  galleries  and  Museums.  He  says  : 
"  I  have  seen  it  made  red-hot  on  one  side,  while 
cold  water  was  played  on  the  other  without  causing 
a  break.  As  a  fire  protection  this  glass  is  as  good 
as  a  brick  wall."  Appliances  in  England,  he  declares, 
"are  mere  toys"  compared  to  those  in  use  throughout 
the  States.  He  did  not  see,  on  his  last  visit,  "a 
single  stand-pipe  in  any  street."  "  In  America  the 
stand-pipe  runs  to  the  highest  floor  of  the  loftiest 
building,  and  is  so  constructed  that  the  engine  can 
be  connected  without  a  minute's  delay.  No  hose  is 
needed,  and  water  is  thrown  on  to  every  floor."  Fire 
protection  in  factories  throughout  England "  he 
considers  "  inadequate."  Since  the  system  he  re- 
commends has  been  adopted  in  the  States,  "  not  one 
life  has  been  lost  in  any  of  the  factories."  Improved 
methods  of  protection  from  fire  are  greatly  needed 
in  London. 

Up  to  within  the  last  forty  years,  in  the  United 
States,  the  whole  Fire  Department  in  cities  and  towns 
was  entirely  voluntary,  and  only  became  a  duly- 
organised  body  with  the  creation  of  the  steam  fire- 
engine,  which,  I  believe,  was  an  American  invention. 

274 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

At  the  Communal  insurrection  in  Paris,  when  that 
delightful  city  was  set  on  fire  in  more  than  a  score 
of  places  at  the  same  time,  there  was  no  steam  fire- 
engine  to  be  found.  One  had  never  been  seen  by  the 
Parisians,  and  the  first  used  in  Paris  was  sent  over 
from  London,  when  the  Communists  had  been 
suppressed. 

As  a  young  man  in  new  York,   I   remember   that 
to  belong  to  a  Fire  Company,  or  a  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company,     was      as     popular     as     volunteering     in 
England,   and   the    major  number   of  young  men  of 
the   best  families  were  members  of  one  company  or 
another.     The    Engine-House    and    the    Hook    and 
Ladder  Shelters  were  used  as  Clubs,  and  members 
would  go  there  to  talk  and  smoke,  and  wait  for  the 
alarm    signal.     Both    forms   of  these   fire   appliances 
were  drawn  by  ropes,  every  member  of  the  company 
assisting  to  drag,   and  the  expenses  were  raised  by 
private   subscriptions.     With    the    invention   of    the 
steam    fire-engine   came   the  creation    of  the    Public 
Fire  Department,  which  is  under  the  control  of  the 
city   of   New   York,    and   is   maintained   out   of  the 
rates.     The  chief  engineer  of  the  Fire  Department, 
Harry   Howard,    I    can    remember,   became   the   idol 
of  the  youth  of  New  York.     His  career  was  a  re- 
markable one.     He  had  been  left  an  orphan  at  an 
early  age,   and   was    cared    for   in    the  first    instance 
by  some  city  charity,  and  when  he  grew  up  attracted 
attention    by   the    successful    manner    in    which    he 
rescued  a  number  of  persons  from  burning  buildings, 
winning  for  himself  a  reputation  for  fearlessness  and 

275 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

courage  second  to  none.  At  his  death  he  had  a 
public  funeral,  which  was  attended  by  the  entire 
Fire  Brigade  of  New  York. 

The  management  of  the  London  Street  Traffic  by 
the  police  has  been  a  subject  of  frequent,  and  always 
complimentary,  remark  by  visitors  from  all  parts  of 
the  world,  and  only  recently  an  inspector  of  the 
police  force  of  New  York  was  despatched  to 
London  to  study  the  method  which  is  in  force. 

As  a  boy,  I  can  remember  that  in  New  York 
there  was  no  Rule  of  the  Road  in  existence,  and 
omnibuses  would  bolt  across  the  street  in  front  of 
a  carriage,  dray,  or  private  equipage.  The  principle 
adopted  was  for  everyone  to  drive  as  they  liked, 
the  result  being  an  absolute  block  in  the  streets  for 
hours  at  a  time,  which  the  police  were  unable  to 
unravel.  Upon  one  occasion  our  American  Am- 
bassador, Mr  Bayard,  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Press  of 
England  complimenting  the  authorities  on  their 
management  of  the  Street  Traffic,  and  he  spoke  of 
the  method  adopted  as  illustration  of  the  power  of  a 
policeman's  uplifted  hand.  "  No  word  was  spoken," 
he  remarked.  "  A  constable  raises  his  hand,  and 
the  traffic  in  one  direction  was  immediately  stopped. 
Any  breach  of  the  signal  given  resulted  in  the 
offender  being  summoned  before  a  magistrate,  and 
fined,  and,  if  the  driver  of  a  licensed  vehicle,  upon 
a  repetition  of  the  offence,  the  licence  would  be 
cancelled.  So  admirable  a  system  is  to  the  interest 
and  advantage  of  the  whole  travelling  community." 

The  Bank  of  England  is  always  an  object  of  great 

276 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

interest  to  all  American  visitors,  and  I  believe  this 
is  the  only  bank  anyone  has  the  least  curiosity  to 
visit.  An  order  to  view  is  easily  obtained,  and  the 
visitor  is  shown  the  whole  process  of  issuing  bank- 
notes, and  the  various  methods  adopted  in  a  great 
banking  institution.  At  the  close  of  his  visit  the 
stranger  will  probably  boast  that  he  has  seen  more 
gold,  and  more  value  represented  by  bank-notes, 
than  ever  in  his  life  before.  If,  when  a  cheque  is 
presented,  the  question  is  asked  :  "  How  do  you  wish 
this  cheque  cashed,  in  notes  or  gold  ?  "  and  the  reply 
is  "  Gold,"  the  sovereigns  are  never  counted,  but 
shovelled  into  a  scale,  weighed  out,  placed  in  a  bag, 
and  handed  over.  So  accurate  is  the  weighing  that 
no  mistake  is  ever  made.  In  the  course  of  his 
journey  the  Visitor  will  be  shown  a  comparatively 
small  bag  of  gold,  and  will  be  courteously  informed 
that  if  he  can  carry  the  bag  across  the  room  he 
may  become  the  owner  for  his  pains,  yet  no  one 
has  ever  been  able  to  carry  the  bag  far  enough  to 
establish  a  claim  to  possession.  At  another  point 
a  bundle  of  bank-notes  is  placed  in  the  stranger's 
hand,  with  the  announcement  that  the  bundle  re- 
presents ,£1,000,000  of  money,  so  that  for  a  few 
seconds  the  stranger  has  really  been  a  millionaire, 
without  the  burden  of  any  further  responsibility  after 
leaving  the  precincts  presided  over  by  the  "  Old 
Lady  of  Threadneedle  Street."  The  bank  is  guarded 
at  night  by  a  Lieutenant  of  the  Guards  and  a  number 
of  Guardsmen. 

The  Postal  System  in  England  deserves  the  highest 

277 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

possible  commendation  for  accuracy  and  promptness 
and  the  rarity  of  a  failure  in  delivery.  Since  my 
residence  in  England  commenced,  the  Telegraph  and 
Telephone  services  have  been  acquired  by  the  Service, 
and  the  parcel  post  has  been  established — all  of  them 
being  carried  on  at  as  reasonable  a  cost  as  is  consistent 
with  the  administrative  outlay.  The  only  omission  in 
the  Parcel  Post  system — which  is  included  in  that 
of  the  United  States — is  that  in  England  the  Post 
Office  will  not  C.O.D.  This  system,  which  is  found 
to  be  of  great  utility  in  the  States,  has  been  carefully 
and  experimentally  considered  in  England,  and,  no 
doubt,  will  in  time  be  adopted.  One  great  source 
of  objection  is  that  raised  by  Provincial  Traders,  who 
consider  that  the  system  would  divert  the  small 
trading  upon  which  they  rely  to  large  houses  in  the 
cities.  In  the  States,  if  the  receiver  of  the  parcel 
does  not  pay  on  the  tender  of  the  parcel,  the  goods  are 
not  handed  over. 

With  regard  to  the  matter  of  Holidays,  Americans 
are  greatly  surprised  with  their  frequency,  and  con- 
sider that  they  are  far  too  numerous.  I  do  not  share 
this  opinion.  The  legalised  Bank  Holidays  are  Good 
Friday,  Easter  Monday,  Whit  Monday,  the  first 
Monday  in  August,  Christmas  Day,  and  26th  De- 
cember. These  six  holidays  as  an  aggregate  are  not 
really  too  numerous,  but  the  difficulty  arises  when 
to  each  of  these  holidays  an  extra  day  or  two  is,  by 
universal  custom,  added.  For  instance,  with  regard  to 
Good  Friday,  most  of  the  large  city  warehouses  and 
public  institutions  will  close  from  the  Thursday  to  the 

278 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

following  Tuesday,  and  even  longer  occasionally. 
Factories  are  shut  down  for  a  week,  and  the  same 
thing  recurs  at  August  and  Christmas.  The  belief 
is  that  the  indulgence  of  the  people  generally  at  these 
periods  causes  absence  from  work  really  extending 
through  many  weeks.  The  wages  paid  at  factories 
stop,  of  course,  during  these  prolonged  holidays,  and 
debt  is  incurred  which  cripples  the  work-people  for 
a  long  time  after  they  return  to  their  usual  employ- 
ment. 

In  the  United  States  the  great  holidays  are  Decora- 
tion Day,  30th  May ;  New  Year's  Day ;  Lincoln's 
Birthday,  1 2th  February ;  Washington's  Birthday, 
22nd  February  ;  Independence  Day,  4th  July  ;  Labour 
Day,  5th  September ;  Thanksgiving  Day,  usually  the 
last  Thursday  in  November ;  and  Christmas  Day. 
These  are  two  more  in  number  than  are  enjoyed  in 
England  and  Ireland  ;  but  the  consequences  are  not 
the  same,  because  work  is  resumed  on  the  day  follow- 
ing a  holiday  with  almost  exact  regularity,  so  that 
there  is  no  loss  of  wages  following  through  the  indul- 
gence of  the  workers,  as  is  the  case  in  England. 

When  I  first  came  to  England  Bicycles  and 
Tricycles  had  not  been  invented.  The  Bicycle 
gradually  rose  to  an  unprecedented  popularity,  being 
taken  up  by  men,  women,  and  children  in  every 
rank  of  life.  The  tricycle  had  a  very  short  popular 
existence,  and  this  year  (1905)  both  vehicles  are 
gradually  dropping  out  of  popular  esteem,  and  they 
are  not  in  demand  by  one-tenth  what  they  were 
ten  years  ago.  I  never  became  a  successful  cyclist, 

279 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

though  I  was  one  of  the  first  to  purchase  a  tricycle 
— one  of  those  popularly  known  as  a  "  H umber." 
At  that  time  the  only  fault  the  machine  had  was 
the  risk  the  rider  ran  in  descending  a  hill,  which 
made  the  probability  of  a  spill  over  the  handle- 
bar not  at  all  unlikely,  unless  you  could  carefully 
balance  yourself.  But  improvements  followed  in 
rapid  succession,  and  to-day  the  makers  maintain 
their  high  reputation  for  both  bicycles  and  tricycles. 
On  one  Bank  Holiday  I  set  out  for  a  long  day  in 
the  country,  and  came  to  utter  grief  at  Richmond 
Hill,  which  is  only  six  miles  from  the  Marble  Arch. 
One  knee  was  so  badly  scarred  by  my  fall  that  I 
had  to  call  a  four-wheeler,  put  the  tricycle  on  the 
roof,  and  so  was  driven  home  in  disgrace. 

A  few  days  later,  having  recovered,  I  rode  my 
tricycle  to  Harrow,  accompanied  by  a  medical  friend. 
We  rode  well  on  the  outward  spin,  but  returning, 
coming  down  Harrow  Hill,  my  companion  just 
happened  to  touch  the  hub  of  my  machine,  and  I  was 
made  to  repeat  the  gymnastic  feat  I  accomplished 
at  Richmond  Hill,  and  had  to  repeat  the  course 
I  previously  took,  in  order  to  reach  home.  I  have 
never  mounted  any  cycle  since. 

I  should  admit  that  from  boyhood  I  never  considered 
I  ever  had  any  Engineering  ability,  and  I  was  regarded 
as  one  so  utterly  devoid  of  mechanical  knowledge  as 
to  be  unable  to  sharpen  a  blacklead  pencil.  I  do  not 
think  I  am  quite  so  helpless  as  that ;  but  upon  one 
occasion  Professor  Fowler,  the  phrenologist,  examined 
my  bumps  at  a  lecture  he  gave  at  the  City  Temple, 

280 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

and  declared  that  whatever  other  gifts  I  might  possess 
mechanical  genius  was  not  one  of  them.  The  Professor 
was  right. 

While  Bicycles  and  Tricycles  have  largely  retired 
from  public  favour,  the  Motor  car  has  certainly  become 
established  in  public  use  in  a  most  remarkable 
manner.  Probably  no  single  invention  of  so  costly 
a  character — for  motor  cars  in  England  cost  from 
^250  to  ^2000 — has  ever  before  attained  such  enor- 
mous popularity.  Even  wealthy  people  have  practically 
emptied  their  stables,  and  sold  their  carriages,  preferring 
Motor  Broughams  for  daily  use,  and  large  Cars  for  road 
travel.  For  the  future,  I  believe  that  the  inventive 
genius  of  the  manufacturers  in  the  several  foreign 
countries  where  they  are  now  made,  will  shortly  put  on 
the  market  a  car,  which  will  not  exceed  the  cost  of 
an  ordinary  carriage. 

The  Motor  vehicle  is  not  only  used  in  England 
as  a  private  carriage,  but  is  rapidly  becoming  a  public 
convenience  of  the  day.  About  the  streets  the  Motor 
Bus  is  fast  supplanting  the  omnibus  with  horse  power. 
As  trade  vehicles  they  have  appeared  in  large  numbers, 
and  motor  engines  on  the  roads  have  met  with  the 
distinct  approval  of  many  classes  as  a  great  convenience. 
The  great  Omnibus  companies  are  gradually  altering 
their  plant  for  motor  power,  and  the  same  may  be  said 
of  almost  every  description  of  public  vehicle,  including 
Tramcars. 

There  are  so  many  Freemasons  in  all  parts  of  the 
world  that  I  have  frequently  been  questioned  by 
members  of  the  brotherhood  as  to  the  extent  of  the 

281 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

Order  in  the  States.  As  to  numbers,  I  believe  there 
are,  according  to  Grand  Lodge  returns,  upwards  of 
1,000,000  Masons  in  the  States.  I  joined  the  Order  in 
1872,  and  since  then  have  had  many  American  Masons 
as  personal  guests,  or  as  guests  of  the  Lodges  to  which 
I  have  belonged.  A  Masonic  banquet  is  not  a  feature 
in  the  United  States,  and  the  habit  of  holding  one 
following  a  meeting  of  the  lodge  is  unusual.  This, 
however,  is  invaribly  the  custom  in  England. 

Amongst  London  Clubs  there  are  a  large  number 
which  are  partly  social  and  partly  literary.  These 
have  no  Club-houses  of  their  own,  and  only  meet 
upon  certain  fixed  occasions.  This  is  the  case  with 
the  New  Vagabond  Club,  the  White  Friars,  the 
Sphinx,  and  others. 

Amongst  many  associations  in  London  formed 
amongst  Commercial  men  for  mutual  assistance  and 
the  interchange  of  ideas,  one  of  the  most  interesting 
is  the  Sphinx  Club,  which  was  founded  in  October  1904 
by  twenty  gentlemen  connected  with  the  advertising 
profession,  and  their  allies — newspaper  proprietors, 
publishers,  and  advertisers.  I  had  the  honour  of 
being  elected  the  first  president.  A  monthly  dinner 
is  held,  after  which  a  debate  upon  a  given  subject 
connected  with  the  profession  takes  place.  One  of 
these  was  "  What  is  Advertising?"  which  gave  rise 
to  an  important  and  valuable  discussion.  Other 
topics  of  a  kindred  character  have  been  taken  at 
the  club  dinners.  At  the  banquet  held  in  May  at 
the  Hotel  Cecil  members  had  an  agreeable  surprise 
at  the  hands  of  that  prince  of  cartoonists,  Mr  F. 

282 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Carruthers  Gould,  who  presented  to  each  a  copy 
of  an  Egyptian  scroll,  in  which,  while  gently  carica- 
turing, he  also  idealised  and  immortalised,  a  few  of 
the  prominent  members  of  the  Club. 

The  system  of  Circulating  Libraries  in  London  and 
other  parts  of  England  is  well  carried  out,  and  all 
of  them  are  well  supplied  with  up-to-date  literature, 
while  the  subscriptions  are  really  moderate.  A  firm 
known  as  Mudie's  is  the  most  prominent  and  best 
known,  and  from  this  library  the  vast  majority 
of  country  libraries  are  supplied.  The  business  done 
by  circulating  libraries  has  greatly  diminished  since 
the  establishment  of  rate-aided  Public  Libraries  and 
by  the  reduction  in  price  of  popular  fiction.  Prior 
to  1890  nearly  all  novels  were  issued  in  three-volume 
sets,  the  published  price  being  313.  6d.  This  put 
the  purchase  of  such  works  quite  out  of  the  reach 
of  ordinary  readers,  and  the  Libraries  not  only 
became  the  best  customers  of  the  publishers,  but 
frequently  determined  the  success  or  failure  of  a  new 
work.  If  the  Libraries  declined  to  buy,  the  book 
was  almost  certainly  doomed  to  be  a  failure.  All 
this,  however,  has  now  been  changed,  and  at  the 
present  day  6s.  is  the  publishing  price  of  books 
by  the  most  popular  authors,  and  this  is  practically 
reduced  to  45.  6d.  by  the  net  figures  charged  by 
retail  booksellers.  As  a  result,  people  now  buy 
books,  where  previously,  they  borrowed  from  a 
library  to  read  only.  This  should  also  be  noted, 
that  books  published  originally  at  6s.,  after  their 
first  popularity  is  passed,  are  issued  in  cheap  editions 

283 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

of  is.  6d.,  and  even  at  is. — well  bound — while  many 
standard  works,  of  which  the  copyrights  have  expired, 
may  be  bought  at  4^d.  or  6d. 

While  these  pages  have  been  passing  through  the 
press,  The  Times,  which  is  ever  in  the  van  of  literary 
progress,  has  announced  a  new  scheme  for  a  lending 
library  in  conjunction  with  the  issue  of  their  journal. 
This  is  called  "  The  Times  Book  Club,"  and  affords 
every  subscriber  to  their  paper  the  opportunity  of 
reading  the  latest  published  works  in  every  depart- 
ment of  art,  drama,  philosophy,  poetry,  travels 
and  science,  on  demand  without  charge.  Three 
books  may  be  had  at  a  time  ;  they  may  be  changed 
every  day ;  and  after  being  read  be  purchased  at  half 
the  published  price.  A  finely-appointed  depot  is 
opened  in  the  west  end,  and  the  enterprise  is  worthy 
the  genius  of  the  great  paper. 

The  Book- Lovers'  Library  is  also  a  flourishing 
institution  with  a  reasonable  subscription  and  con- 
venient facilities.  Boots  Limited  have  added  a  lend- 
ing library  to  their  other  departments,  and  have  scored 
a  great  success  in  obtaining  the  patronage  of  book 
readers  in  all  localities  where  their  stores  are  situated. 

What  were  called  the  "  Yellow  Backs  "  have  almost 
disappeared,  and  the  new  cheap  editions  are  issued 
bound  in  cloth,  and  sold  at  the  lowest  prices.  Even 
authors  of  the  present  day  find  their  works  saleable 
at  these  low  figures,  and  while  they  are  glad  of 
the  large  circulation  which  they  obtain,  have  to 
admit  a  loss  of  income  as  a  result  of  this  form  of 
trading. 

284 


With  John   Bull  and  Jonathan 

The  fact  is  not  generally  known  that  a  Patent 
can  be  obtained  in  England  upon  any  article,  whether 
a  new  invention  or  otherwise.  No  inquiry  or  test 
is  made  of  any  kind.  You  simply  say  to  the  clerk 
you  wish  to  patent  a  certain  invention,  and  they 
issue  a  Patent,  and  take  your  fee,  which  is  no 
guarantee  whatever  as  to  the  validity,  because  an- 
other may  have  anticipated  yours.  The  fees,  fortun- 
ately, for  this  supposed  patent  are  most  moderate. 

In  the  United  States  a  Patent  is  not  granted 
until  after  submission  to  the  examiners,  and  search 
made  as  to  similar  patents,  and  no  Patent  is  granted 
unless  there  is  proof  that  the  invention  is  new, 
novel  in  principle,  and  that  principle  never  antici- 
pated. Such  a  Patent  is  at  once  of  great  value  if 
the  invention  is  valuable,  because  protection  is  at 
once  ensured  from  infringement.  But  in  England 
the  value  or  insignificance  of  a  Patent  can  only  be 
ascertained  after  an  action  at  law  with  another 
claimant,  which  is  a  very  expensive  transaction. 


285 


CHAPTER   XIX 

Afterwords — Gathering  up  the  Threads 

IN  this  closing  chapter  of  my  reminiscences  I  have 
left  many  friends  and  relatives  in  business  and  at 
home  doing  their  appointed  work  with  all  their 
might,  with  all  their  heart.  Many  are  still  living 
and  labouring  as  before,  and  the  consecrated  life  flows 
on,  like  a  stream  descending  from  a  mountain,  only 
occasionally  ruffled  by  a  projecting  rock  or  jutting 
crag,  pressing  forward  to  the  sea. 

I  have  spoken  of  my  sainted  mother's  death  and 
burial.  She  now  lies  in  the  Beals  burial  plot  at 
Canandaigua,  whither  her  body  was  removed  in  1863. 

The  last  journey  my  dear  father  took,  by  sea  and 
land,  was  to  visit  me,  and  he  met  his  death  by  a 
strange  accident  at  Edinburgh.  Of  this  I  have 
spoken. 

My  Father  married  for  his  third  wife  Mrs  Helen 
Lawrence  Franklin,  widow  of  George  Franklin,  and 
a  descendant  of  the  Lawrence  family  of  Flushing, 
Long  Island.  She  survived  my  Father  twenty-eight 
years,  and  died  in  1902,  leaving  one  son,  the  child  of 
her  first  marriage.  He  adopted  legally  the  name  of 
Richards,  and  is  a  practising  lawyer  in  New 
Hampshire. 

In  reviewing  the  years  of  my  business  life  in 

286 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

London,  justice  compels  me  to  refer  to  those  who 
have  been  actively  engaged  with  me,  and  to  whose 
loyal  service  I  am  deeply  indebted.  My  office  staff 
from  the  very  beginning  have,  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  proved  most  efficient,  and  in  several  cases  have 
developed  exceptional  gifts,  showing  great  devotion 
to  the  furtherance  of  my  plans,  and  so  advanced  the 
interests  of  my  firm. 

A  member  of  my  staff  who  joined  me  in  1886  was 
my  uncle,  Mr  Thomas  Spencer  Deals,  my  mother's 
brother.  The  late  Mr  Beals,  in  consequence  of  a 
business  disaster  in  the  States,  caused  by  no  neglect 
of  his  own,  urgently  requested  me  to  take  him  into 
my  office,  and  in  his  sixty-fifth  year,  with  his  wife 
and  daughter,  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  take  up  my 
work  in  the  old  country.  He  came  over  in  1886, 
entered  upon  his  new  duties  with  great  zest,  carried 
them  out  with  the  utmost  ability  and  punctiliousness  ; 
was  never  absent  except  on  two  occasions  when  ill, 
took  very  moderate  holidays,  and  died  after  seventeen 
years'  faithful  service,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three,  igth 
March  1904.  His  whole  career  of  work  in  London 
was  a  remarkable  performance.  Bancroft  Library 

In  addition  to  American  agencies,  I  have  for  twenty 
years  been  the  English  representative  of  two  eminent 
manufacturers  in  Belgium — viz.  Ch.  Delacre  et  Fils 
and  L.  Ecckelaers  of  Brussels  —  and  my  personal 
relations  with  these  gentlemen  have  always  been 
delightful  to  me,  and  their  hearty  appreciation  of 
Anglo-American  methods  has  been  a  matter  of  satis- 
faction —  ever  evincing  a  keen  interest  to  advance 

287 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

with  the  times ;  never  seeking  for  a  precedent,  or 
fearing  an  innovation. 

Other  firms  have  entrusted  their  business  agencies 
in  England  to  me,  and  our  relations  have  nearly 
always  ripened  into  warm  friendship  with  their 
principals,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  no  firms  which 
have  placed  their  business  in  my  hands  have  ever 
withdrawn  from  me  ;  and  I  have  never  been  associated 
with  a  failure  in  their  interests.  This  may  be  ac- 
counted for  by  their  talent  and  skill  in  suggesting 
a  course  of  procedure,  rather  than  following  my  own 
initiative.  Still,  in  many  cases  I  acted  entirely  on  my 
own  responsibility,  and  without  any  limitations  being 
placed  upon  my  actions. 

My  old  friend  and  first  employer,  to  whom  I  have 
made  frequent  reference,  Mr  Demas  Barnes,  became 
a  Member  of  Congress  before  I  left  the  United  States. 
He  died  in  New  York  on  ist  May  1888.  During 
his  Congressional  term  he  was  active  in  procuring 
Legislation  for  the  construction  of  the  Brooklyn 
Bridge,  and  was  a  Member  of  the  first  Board  of 
Trustees.  He  also  advocated  the  building  of  the 
new  Post  Office  in  New  York,  as  well  as  other  large 
works  of  a  similar  kind.  He  was  a  Director  of 
the  Long  Island  Railway,  and  of  several  Insurance 
Companies,  and  was  prominently  connected  with  many 
Philanthropic  and  Charitable  Institutions.  He  left 
a  fortune  of  several  millions.  His  first  wife,  who  was 
with  him  on  his  first  visit  to  me,  died  ;  and  he  re- 
married. He  had  one  daughter  by  his  first  marriage 
— Miss  Cora  Barnes,  and  one  daughter  by  his  second 

288 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

wife — Miss  Mildred  Barnes.  Mrs  Barnes  was  married 
in  1892  to  Mr  William  Henry  Bliss,  a  prominent 
Lawyer  and  District  Attorney  of  St  Louis,  Mo., 
and  who  afterwards  removed  to  New  York.  These 
ladies  frequently  visit  this  country,  and  are  among 
my  dearest  friends. 

One  of  the  most  important  successes  achieved  by 
Mr  Demas  Barnes  in  1860  was  by  forming  a  partner- 
ship with  Mr  P.  H.  Drake,  and  trading  as  P.  H. 
Drake  &  Co.  This  firm  was  established  to  continue 
and  enlarge  a  business  originally  started  in  the  town 
of  Binghamton,  State  of  New  York.  Mr  Drake  was 
one  of  the  most  genial  of  men,  and  I  have  spent  many 
pleasant  hours  with  him,  both  in  New  York  and 
London.  He  died  in  1883.  His  only  daughter  is 
Mrs  Arthur  Duane  of  New  York,  and,  like  the 
daughters  of  Mr  Barnes,  has  always  kept  in  touch 
with  me  and  my  family,  and  with  feelings  of  mutual 
regard. 

With  regard  to  partners,  Mr  Demas  Barnes  always 
held  that  no  partnership  could  be  successful  where 
each  partner  did  not  combine  talent  with  capital. 
He  was  certainly  fortunate  in  his  own  partnerships. 
Mr  John  F.  Henry  ultimately  became  the  successor 
of  the  firm  of  Demas  Barnes,  having  upon  Mr 
Barnes'  retirement  purchased  the  stock  and  goodwill 
of  the  whole  of  the  business,  with  the  exception  of  the 
proprietary  articles,  which  he  reserved  as  his  own 
private  property.  This  was  in  1873.  Mr  Henry 
continued  the  business,  and  took  in  two  partners,  but 
in  February  1876  the  firm  went  into  liquidation. 
T  289 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

Mr  W.  P.  Ward  and  Mr  Brent  Good,  with  whom  I 
was  so  pleasantly  associated  in  my  early  days,  have 
both  carried  on  business  associations  with  me  up  to 
the  present  time  ;  and  each  of  them  spends  a  portion 
of  each  year  travelling  in  England  and  upon  the 
Continent. 

My  brother-in-law,  Mr  Henry  K.  Terry,  with 
whom  I  was  associated  in  the  tobacco  enterprise,  left 
England  soon  after  the  Tobacco  Trade  Amalgama- 
tion, and  settled  in  Richmond,  Virginia — afterwards 
removing  to  Minnesota,  where  he  now  resides. 
Mr  John  F.  Allen,  and  Mr  Lewis  Ginter,  the 
founder  of  the  "  Richmond  Gem,"  and  other  brands 
of  American  cigarettes  and  tobaccos  (Allen  & 
Ginter),  both  died  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  within 
the  last  ten  years. 

Mr  S.  R.  Van  Duzer,  under  whose  auspices  I  came 
to  England  in  1887,  died  at  Newburgh,  New  York, 
in  1904.  I  saw  him  upon  two  occasions  only  after 
the  dissolution  of  partnership,  in  1872.  His  son, 
Frederick  C.  Van  Duzer,  has  conducted  and  managed 
the  business,  first  as  partner  with  his  father,  and 
latterly  as  the  surviving  partner,  and  has  for  many 
years  been  one  of  my  best  friends. 

With  regard  to  those  of  my  relatives  whose  names 
I  have  introduced  into  these  reminiscences,  I  must 
place  on  grateful  record  a  few  facts  concerning 
them. 

My  brother  James,  after  leaving  college,  entered 
upon  the  study  of  the  law.  He  received  the  degree 
of  LL.B.  from  the  University  Law  School,  taking 

290 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

a  further  course  of  two  years  in  the  Columbia  Law 
School  under  Theodore  W.  D wight,  LL.D.,  receiv- 
ing the  same  degree  and  the  further  honour  of  LL.M. 
after  having  delivered  the  Alumni  address  a  year  after 
graduating,  and  in  due  course  was  admitted  a  member 
of  the  Bar  in  New  York.  He  began  practising  Law 
at  once,  continuing  in  practice  from  1863  to  1898. 
At  first  in  partnership  with  Mr  C.  N.  Bovee,  the  well- 
known  author  and  Philosophical  writer,  and  from  1874 
to  1898  was  associated  with  the  eminent  Law  firm 
of  Coudert  Brothers  of  New  York. 

The  special  Branch  to  which  he  gave  his  attention 
was  the  Law  of  Real  Property.  In  1897  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  D  wight  Alumni  Association 
of  the  City  of  New  York,  succeeding  in  that  office 
Justice  Morgan  J.  O'Bryan  of  the  Appellate  Division 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

Leaving  the  States,  he  has  travelled  considerably 
through  Europe,  enjoys  excellent  health,  and  is  a 
constant  visitor  at  Steephill  Castle.  He  married 
three  years  later  than  I  did.  His  wife  died  five 
years  ago,  leaving  no  family ;  and  he  now  enjoys 
complete  rest  from  professional  labours,  and  finds 
in  the  pursuits  of  a  country  gentleman,  with  occa- 
sional excursions  into  literary  work,  that  solace  and 
happiness  which  he  deserves. 

My  sister  Caroline  married  Mr  Edmund  C.  Clarke 
of  Naples,  a  lake  village  about  eight  miles  from 
Canandaigua,  New  York.  She  has  one  son  and  three 
daughters.  All  of  them  are  living. 

My  sister  Anna  married  Mr  A.  A.  Cummings  of 

291 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

San  Francisco,  who  died  while  on  a  visit  to  me  in 
1894,  since  which  time  she  has  made  her  home 
with  me. 

My  stepmother,  after  a  number  of  years,  died  at 
Jackson,  Michigan. 

My  sister  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  Mr  Justice 
J.  T.  Marean  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  Their  home  is  in  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
and  they  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  leisure  and  means. 
They  have  crossed  the  Atlantic  many  times,  always 
visiting  me,  and  meeting  together  on  terms  of  mutual 
affection  and  interest. 

My  sister  Julia  died  when  she  was  three  years 
of  age. 

My  wife  is  an  established  favourite  wTith  all  classes. 
Her  heart  is  ever  open  to  the  appeal  of  the  "  unlucky." 
She  facetiously  observed  upon  one  occasion:  "  There 
are  two  classes  of  letters  addressed  to  me,  the  contents 
of  which  I  know  by  heart  as  soon  as  I  read  the  open- 
ing sentence.  One  begins :  '  Knowing  your  kind 
heart' — she  is  a  woman  who  wants  me  to  visit  her, 
and  see  her  seventeen  children.  A  second  com- 
mences :  '  Forgive  an  utter  stranger  for  troubling  you  ; 
if  you  knew  my  distress' — she  is  a  lady  who  wants 
me  to  lift  a  mortgage  on  her  house  of  ^300." 

Occasionally,  in  her  goodness  of  heart,  she  has  been 
led  into  undertakings  of  great  difficulty.  Upon  one 
occasion,  in  1879,  she  received  from  Hablot  K. 
Browne  ("Phiz"),  the  well-known  illustrator  of 
Dickens'  works  and  others,  a  portfolio  full  of 
sketches,  which  he  asked  her  to  show  her  friends, 

292 


" 


._.,  -';     •'• 


jr  • 

! 


'7<-f, 

~> 


FAC-SIMILE    OF    DRAWING    BY    "  PHIZ,"    1879. 


MBS.   JOHN   MORGAN  BICHABDS. 


With  John  Bull  and  Jonathan 

who  might  purchase  a  few.  She  was  unsuccessful 
in  this,  and  after  a  certain  time  had  elapsed  he  wrote 
a  pleasant  note,  asking  for  the  return  of  the  portfolio, 
expressing  the  hope  that  they  were  not  thrown  on 
the  dust-heap. 

On  the  opposite  page  is  a  facsimile  of  his  letter, 
sketch,  and  autograph. 

In  my  own  family  circle  there  has  for  many  years 
been  only  "one  vacant  chair."  My  daughters  have 
known  sorrow ;  and  still  face  their  daily  duty  with 
heroic  faith. 

My  sons  are  at  my  right  hand  with  me  in  business. 

My  wife  has  counselled  and  supported  me  in  the 
most  difficult  and  the  most  sad  experiences  of  my  life  ; 
all  my  joys  have  been  shared  with  her.  We  both 
are  blessed  with  wonderful  health  and  cheerful  tem- 
peraments. Personally,  I  am  both  active  and  energetic, 
continuing  in  my  business  from  preference,  and  desire. 

To  other  comrades  and  beloved  ones  whom  I  have 
loved,  and  from  whom  I  have  parted,  with  deep 
reverence  I  adopt  the  language  of  St  Paul  the 
Apostle:  "And  what  shall  I  more  say?  for  the  time 
would  fail  me  to  tell  of  Gideon,  and  of  Barak,  and 
of  Samson,  and  of  Jephthah." 

For  myself  I  also  use  a  Scriptural  expression : 
"  What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  His 
benefits  ?  " 

"  The  Now  is  an  atom  of  Sand, 

And  the  Near  is  a  perishing  Clod, 
But  Afar  is  as  Fairyland, 

And  BEYOND  is  the  Bosom  of  God." 

293 


Index 


ACADEMY,  159,  161,  264 
"Academy  crowning,"  160 
Accent  and  pronunciation,  202 
Advanced  pharmacy,  76 
Advertising,  46  et  seq. 

—  fireworks,  52 

—  in  England  and  United  States, 

59 

—  half-a-million  spent  in,  236 
Advertisement,  a  puzzling,  52 
Albany,  Bishop  of,  154 
Alexander,  George,  120 
Alexander,  Rev.  Prof.  W.  L.,  83 
Alfonso  XII.,  117 

Alien  American,  the,  177 
"Alien  unnaturalised,"  177 
Allen  &  Co.,  J.  F.,  66,  290 
Allen  &  Ginter,  66,  68,  290 
Alterations  in  buildings  and  streets, 

162 
American,  a  cute,  51  et  seq. 

—  cigarettes,    introduction     into 
England,  66,  67 

—  colony  in  London,  149 

—  extract  of  malt,  76 

—  Round  Table,  Holborn  Viaduct 
Hotel,  72 

—  society,  152 

—  Tobacco  Co.,  69 
Ampthill,  Lord,  171 
Anderson,  Captain,  216 

Annie  Swan  (Mrs  Burnett  Smith), 

107 

Answers,  63 
Appleton,  Dr,  159 
Arnold,  Laura  Hortense,  18 

—  born   at    Mahone    Bay,    N.S., 
18 


Arnold,  Matthew,  159 
Arnold,  Captain  Seth  Harris,  18 
Art  of  criticism,  264 
"Artful  Dodger,"  131 
Artemus  Ward,  41 
Aspinwall,  22,  25 
Astor  Place  riots,  126 
Athletics,  164 

Auburn      Theological     Seminary, 
3,5 

BAD  debts,  71 
Ballston,  New  York,  2 
Bancroft,  S.  B.,  129 
Bank  of  England,  276 
Bank  holidays,  278 
Bankers  and  credit,  23 
"  Bar5!  of  Apple  Sass,"  131 
Barnes,  Henry  &  Co.,  26 
Barnes,  Ward  &  Co.,  26 
Bateman,  Kate  and  Isabel,  130 
Beals,  Elizabeth,  5,  6 

—  John,  3 ;  emigratedfrom  Higham, 
Northcote,  England,  3 

—  Lydia,  3 

—  Thomas,  3,  5  ;  established  the 
Ontario  Savings  Bank,  3 

—  Thomas  Spencer,  287 
"  Bee  Hive,"  3 

Beecher,  Rev.  Dr  Lyman,  3 

—  Rev.  Henry  Ward,  4,  28,  63,  80, 
86,  87,  106,  213 

Beecher-Tilton  affair,  28,  86 
Bell,  Moberly,  62 
"  Bells,  The,"  130 
Bellew,  Rev.  J.  M.,  35 
Belloc,  Hilaire,  160 
Belmore,  George,  129 


295 


Index 


Benevolent  Fund,  American  Society, 

151,  152 

Bill  of  costs,  269 
Billington,  129 
Binney,  Rev.  Thomas,  83 
Birch,  C.  B.,  A.R.A.,  258,  264 
Bishop,  Dorothy,  122 
Black  and  White,  64 
Blaisdell  Paper  Pencils,  240 
Blauvelt,  Isaac  A.,  9 
Bliss,  William  Henry,  289 
Bolton,  57 

Boot,  Jesse,  genius  of,  267 
Boots'  Library,  284 
Boots  and  shoes,  American,  61 
Boston,  1 8,  51 
Boucicault,  Dion,  129 
Bovee,  C.  N.,  291 
Brewer,  Chief-Justice,  4 
British  Museum,  136 
Brooklyn  Argus,  27  et  seq. 

—  Eagle,  27,  29 
Brough,  Lionel,  129 
Browne,  H.  K.  ("  Phiz  "),  292 
Bryant,  Dan,  128 
Buchanan,  President,  222 
Buffalo  Bill  at  Earl's  Court,  230 
Bunyan,  John, 70 
Burroughs,  Wellcome  &  Co.,  76 
Byron,  H.  J.,  130 

CAB  fares  in  London,  75,  142 

—  in  New  York,  198 

Cable  message  in  1867,  cost  of,  217 
California,  instructions  for  journey 

tO,  21 

—  Northern,  of    1866   contrasted 
with  to-day,  24  ;  and  Pike's  Peak 
Express  to,  230 

Campania,  187 

Canandaigua,  3-5,  11-13,  29I 

Carnegie,  Andrew,  215 

Charity  collections  in  New  York, 

196 
Charities    in    London,   American, 

148 

Cheever,  Dr  G.  B.,  80 
Cheque  system,  238 
Chicken  food,  209 


Children,  discipline  of,  2 

Choate,  Joseph  H.,  148,  246 

Christian  Chronicle,  88 

Christian  World,  91 

Chronicle,  62 

Cigarettes,  forcing  British  sale,  68 

Circulating  libraries,  283 

Citizen,  88 

City  of  Berlin,  31 

City  Temple,  78  et  se£. 

—  Thursday     morning     services, 

84 

Civil  War,  1 8 
Clarke,  Edmund  C.,  291 
Clarke,  J.  S.,  131 
Clough,  Arthur  Hugh,  159 
Clubs,  282 

Coghlan,  Charles,  202 
Cole,  Vicat,  R.A.,  259 
"  Colleen  Bawn,"  129 
Colman's  Mustard,  87 
"  Colonel,  The,"  202 
Commercial  Hotels  unknown  in 

United  States,  19 
Company  promoting,  239 
Conrad,  Joseph,  160 
Conway,  F.  B.,  126,  127 
Cooke,  Alf,  of  Leeds,  165,  169 
Cost  of  living  in  United  States  and 

England,  138 

Cotton,  J.  S.  Sutherland,  159 
Coudert,  Brothers,  291 
Cowles,  Caroline,  2 
Cowles,  William,  Sheffield,  2 
"  Create  a  sensation,"  22 
Cross  &  Blackwell,  75 
Crossley  &  Co.,  Richard,  44 
Cummings,  A.  A.,  291 
Cunarders  in  1867,  31 
Custom-House  regulations,  194 
Cuyler,  Dr  T.  L.,  80,  81 

Daily  Mail,  62,  65 

Daily  News,  62 

Daily  Telegraph,  65,  84 

Daisy  Family  Story  Paper,  88 

Dean,  Julia,  124 

"  Dearer  than  Life,"  129 

Delacre  et  Fils,  Charles,  287 


296 


Index 


Demas  Barnes  &  Co.,  18  et  seq.t  41, 

54,  173 

Democratic  platform,  254 
Derby,  Lord,  217 
Diamond     Match     Company     of 

Maryland,  77 
Dickens,  Charles,  126 
Divorce  Laws  in  United  States,  246 
Doble,  C.  E.,  159 
"  Donation  Party,  A,"  9 
Dormitory  of  New  York,  213 
Drake,  P.  H.,  289 
Duane,  Mrs  Arthur,  289 
Duke  &  Co.,  J.  R.,66 
Dust-bins,  207 
Duzer,  S.  R.  Van,  30,  36,  41,  66, 

150,  152,  155 
Dwight,    Theodore    W.,     LL.D., 

291 
Dysart,  Earl  of,  172 

ECCKELAERS,  L.,  287 

Echo,  The,  62 

Edmunds,   Dr    James,    F.R.C.S., 

270 
Education  in  United  States,  146  et 

seq. 
Ellsworth,  Judge,  8 

—  Stewart,  8 
Emerson,  R.  W.,  141 
Encyclopedia  Britannica,  235,  236 
England  in  age  of  Wycliffe,  160 

—  for  cabinet  work,  59 

English    editors    and    advertising 
columns,  46 

—  proprietary  articles    in   United 
States,  75 

Episcopacy  in  United  States,  220 
Esher,  Lord,  156 
Evans'  Supper-Rooms,  132 
Evening  Standard,  273 
Express,  62 

Extracts  from  Dr  Parker's  letters, 
93,94 

FAIRCHILD  BROTHERS,  76 
Fairfield,  Conn.,  2 
"  Famous  Literature,"  235 
"Fanchette,"  130 


Farrar,  Archdeacon,  80,  135 
Fascination,  a  new,  56 
"  Feathers  for  Arrows,"  82 
Fechter,  Charles  A.,  129 
Fenian  outbreak  in  London,  37 
"  Ferme,  La,"  67 
Field,  Abigail,  4 

—  Cyrus  W.,  4,  216 

—  David  Dudley,  4 

—  Henry  M.,  4 

—  Stephen  J.,  4 

—  Captain  Timothy,  4 
-  Rev.  Timothy,  4 

Field  sports,  165  et  seq. 

Fire  brigades,  274  et  seq. 

Firms  in  London,  American,  177 

Fleming,  Canon,  135 

<f  Forest  Lovers,"  160 

Forest,  Edwin,  126,  127 

Forms  of  address,  74 

Foster,  John  Wyeth  £  Sons,  76 

Fountain,  The,  88 

Fowler,  Professor,  280 

Fox,  Sampson,  169 

Franco-German  War,  63 

Franklin,  Mrs  Helen  Lawrence,  286 

Fraser  River,  24 

Freemasons,  281 

"  From  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific," 

27 
Fulford,  Senator  George  T.,  182 


GARNET,  MRS,  160 

Genealogical     tree    of    Richards' 

family,  2  et  seq. 
General  Post  Office,  277 
Genoa,  Canon  Valley,  231 
Gibb,  Robert,  R.S.A.,  95 
Ginter,  Lewis,  290 
Gladstone,  Mr  and  Dr  Parker,  105 

—  and  electioneering,  272 
Glyn,  Isabelle  Dallas,  133 

—  receives  Royal  Bounty,  134 

—  gifts  and  death  of,  135 
Gooch,  Daniel,  216 

Good,  Brent  S.  H.,  26,  41,  54,  290 
Gould,  F.  Carruthers,  283 
Graham,  H.  J.,  160 


297 


Index 


Grant,  Albert,  62 

—  and  Leicester  Square,  164 

—  General  U.  S.,  116 
Great  Eastern,  216 
Graphic,  63 
Guildford,  Conn.,  4 

"  Gutter  Snipes,"  49 

HALL,  DR  JOHN,  80 

—  Rev.  Newman,  80 
Hanford,  Ruth,  2 
Hare,  John,  129 

"  Having  a  good  time,"  203 
Hawkins,  Anthony  Hope,  225 
Hay,  John,  154 
"  Heir-at-Law,"  131 
Henley,  William  Ernest,  160 
Henry  &  Co.,  John  F.,  26,  66,  289 
Hermann,     Dr     E.,     inventor     of 

post  card,  74 
Hewlett,  Maurice,  160 
Hind,  C.  Lewis,  159,  161 
Hodgson,  Henrietta  (Mrs  Labou- 

chere),  129 

Holborn  Viaduct,  removal  to,  70 
Holidays  in  England,  98 

—  in  United  States,  279 
Holland,  179 

Holloway's  Ointment  and  Pills,  54 

Hooley,  Ernest  Terah,  240 

Hooper  &  Jackson,  235 

Hotels  of  London  and  America 
compared,  33,  138 

Hotten,  J.  Camden,  42 

Housekeeping  expenses  and  ser- 
vants, 142 

Howard,  Harry,  275 

Huntley  &  Palmer,  75 

Huxley,  Professor,  160 

ICED  champagne  an  American  in- 
novation, 34 

Identification,  novel,  23 

Illustrated  London  News,  47,  63, 
64 

Imperial  Tobacco  Co.,  69 

Importation  of  American  boots,  61 

"  In  search  of  summer  breezes  in 
Northern  Europe,"  27 


Independence  Day,  illumination  in 

Boston,  52 
Irving,  Washington,  125 

—  Sir  Henry,  129,  134 

—  as  Mathias  in  the  "  Bells,"  130 
Isle  of  Wight,  loo,  171 

JEFFERSON,  JOSEPH,  118,  125,  127, 
202 

—  in  London,  126 

Jonathan,  what  John  Bull  owes  to, 

2 1 1  et  seq. 
Judges    in    England    and   United 

States,  269 

KAATSKILL  Mountains,  125 
Keats,  Gwendoline,  160 
Kelvin,  Lord,  216 
Kemble,  Charles,  133 
Kendal,  Mr  and  Mrs  in  "  Pygma- 
lion and  Galatea,"  118 

"  LADIES'  At-Home  Day,"  157 
Lake    District  —  the    Wordsworth 

country,  100 
Lamson,  Curtius,  216 
Lang,  Andrew,  160 
Langham  Hotel,  33 
Leader,  62 
Lectures  by  Dr  Parker  in  United 

States,  87 
Lee,  Sidney,  160 
Lever,  W.  H.,  57 
Liebig's  Extract,  75 
Literature,  161 

Liveries  adopted  in  America,  207 
Liverpool,  32 

Londesborough,  Earl  of,  165 
London  forty  years  ago,  161 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  20 
Lowell,  Russell,  225 
"  Luck,"  265 
Luggage  checking  in  America,  183, 

184 
Luke,  Mrs  Jemima,  260 

MACREADY,  W.  C.,  127,  133 
Mail-carrying,  old  and   new,   230 
et  seq. 


298 


Index 


M'Kessor  &  Robins,  76 

Manhattan  Island,  191,  212 

M.A.P.,  63 

Maple  sugar  tapping,  13 

Marconi  wireless  messages,  189 

Marean,  Mr  Justice  J.  T.,  292 

Mark  Twain,  225  et  seq. 

Marlborough,  Duke  of,  240 

"  Massa  Chan,"  63 

Massett,  Stephen,  135 

Medical  men,  270 

Mellon,  Mr  Alfred,  129 

Middle  Row  disappears,  162 

Milburn,  Dr,  154 

Millais,  Sir  John,  258 

Mock  auctions  and  barkers,  257 

Monopolies,  commercial,  254 

Montreal,  26 

Morgan,  John,  6 

"  Morning  Call,  The,"  124 

Morris  William,  160 

Morristown,  New  Jersey,  2,  8 

Motley,  John  Lothrop,  225 

Motors,  281 

Murray,  John,  159 

Musgrave,  Sir  Anthony,  G.C.M.G., 

4 
Mustang  ponies,  23 

NATIONAL  GALLERY,  136,  274 

Nelson,  Thomas,  63 

New  Year  calls,  157 

New  York,  Bishop  of,  154 

New  York  Evangelist,  4,  80 

New  York  Herald,  170 

New  York  Sunday  World,  65 

Newark,  New  Jersey,  3 

Newcastle,  Duke  of,  223 

Newnes,  Sir  George,  161 

Newth,  Professor,  107 

Nevada,  24 

Neville,  Henry,  129 

"  No  Thoroughfare,"  129 

Norris  Castle,  East  Cowes,  101, 171 

OARSMEN,  English  the  better,  165 
O'Bryan,  Judge  Morgan  J.,  291 
O'Connor,  T.  P.,  63,  272 
Old  Park,  estate  of,  172 


"Ole    Virginny    Tobacco    Shop, 

The,"  68 

"Our  American  Cousin,"  125,  202 
Owens,  John  E.,  131 

PANAMA,  21,  23,  25 

Parker,  Dr  Joseph,  63,  70,  81  et  seq. 

—  anecdote  of,  104 

—  imitation  of  dialects,  104 

—  and  Mr  Gladstone,  105 

—  mind  telegraphy,  106 

—  illustrated  letter  to  Pearl,  112 

—  bust  of,  by  C.  B.  Birch,  A.R.A., 
262 

Parker,  Mrs,  presentation  to,  95 

—  death  of,  101 

—  epitaph,  103 
Patents,  285 
Pater,  Walter,  160 
Pattison,  Mark,  160 
Peak,  Frean  &  Co.,  75 
Pears'  Soap,  75 
Pender,  Sir  John,  216 

Pen  Yann,  Yates  County,  6,  1 1 
"  People's  Bible,"  88 
"  People's  Lawyer,"  131 
"  People's  Prayer-Book,"  88 
Phillips,  Stephen,  160 
Pictorial  World,  64 
Pirating  English  medicines,  54 
"  Pocahontas,  the  Gentle  Savage," 

I31 

"  Plantation  Bitters,"  51  et  seq. 
Plymouth  Church,  Parker  incident 

in,  92 

Pope,  Charles,  124 
Port  Gibson,  Mississippi,  12,  14 
Port  Sunlight,  57 
Portland,  Oregon,  22,  24,  25 
Portsmouth,  treaty  of,  45 
Precedents,  266 
Presidential  election,  1904,  254 
Prendergast,  George  W.  Y.,  123 

—  Sir  Harry,  V.C.,  G.C.B.,  123 
"  Prince  Albert  Frock  coat,"  224 
Prince  Consort,  statue  of,  162 
Princeton,  New  Jersey,  11,15 
Process  blocks,  64 

Pryce,  Rev.  Vaughan,  102 


299 


Index 


Proprietary   business    and    adver- 
tising, 46 

Pseudonym  Library,  120 
Public  undertakings,  211 
Punch,  41,  48,  167,  235 

QUAKER  and  the  cigarette,  the,  68 
Queen  Victoria,  national  monument 
to,  155 

—  letter  of,  to  President  Buchanan, 
223 

RACERS  through  London,  136 
Railways,  163 

—  travelling,  180 

—  conductors,  261 
Reid,  Whitelaw,  154,  246 
Richards,  Anna  Beach,  6 
Richards,  Caroline  Cowles,  6 
Richards,  Dorothy  Christian,  in 
Richards,  Edward  Cowles,  16,  124 

—  character  and  death  of,  17 
Richards,  Dr  James,  Professor  at 

Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  2 

—  died  in  1843,  3 
Richards,  Dr  James,  5 

—  at  Union  College,  Schenectady,  5 

—  marries  Elizabeth  Beals,  5 

—  accepts  call  to  Aurora,  6 

—  transfers  ministry  to  Pen  Yann, 
Yates  County,  6 

—  death  of  Mrs  Richards,  6 

—  marries  Sarah  Wisner,  8 

—  accepts  call  to  Morristown,  New 
Jersey,  8 

—  resigns  through  ill  health,  n 

—  professor  at  Planters'  College, 
Port  Gibson,  Mississippi,  12 

—  removes  to  New  Orleans,  15 

—  goes  to  England,  16 

—  visits  Dr  Parker,  8 1 

—  dies  in  Edinburgh,  85 
Richards,  James,  LL.B.,  290 
Richards,  John  Morgan,  family  of 

English  origin,  i 

—  birth  of,  6 

—  school  life,  7 

—  Morris  Academy,  9 

—  first  school  experiences,  9 


Richards,  John  Morgan,  farming 
at  East  Bloomfield,  12 

—  life  on  a  farm,  13 

—  enters  college  at  Port  Gibson, 
Mississippi,  14 

—  superintends  removal  of  father's 
library,  16 

—  taken    charge    of    by    Uncle 
Edward,  17 

—  first  warehouse  engagement,  17 

—  appointed  to  manage  branch  at 
Boston,  1 8 

—  enters  service  of  Demas  Barnes 
&  Co.,  18 

—  sets  out  for  England,  31 

—  first  impressions  of  London,  35 

—  acquires  partnership,  36 

—  starts   business   in   own   name, 
66 

—  first  law-suit,  43 

—  personal     acquaintance     and 
friendship  of  Dr  Parker,  81 

—  joins    the    Diaconate   of    City 
Temple,  94 

—  visits  Paris,  117 

—  education  of  sons,  122 

—  first  visit  to  a  theatre,  124 

—  walking  and  touring  in  England, 

173 

—  Continental  experiences,  179 

—  revisiting  America,  187 
Richards,    Pearl    (Mrs     Craigie), 

birth  of,  31 

—  as  a  mimic,  113 

—  marries  Reginald  W.   Craigie, 
119 

u  Some  Emotions  and  a  Moral," 
119 

—  "  Journeys  end  in  Lovers  Meet- 
ing," 120 

—  "The  Ambassador,"  120 
Richards,  Samuel,  original  settler 

in  America,  2 

Richmond  Gems,  67,  68,  290 
"Rip  Van  Winkle,"  118,  125 
Ripon,  Bishop  of,  109 
River  scenery,  disfigurement  of,  52 
Robertson,  Agnes,  129 
— Forbes,  120 


300 


Index 


Robertson,  Madge  (Mrs  Kendal), 

129 

Rochester,  Dean  of,  80 
Rockfeller,  Mr,  221 
"  Romeo  and  Juliet,"  124 
Roosevelt,  President,  246 
—  Anna,  2 
Rotterdam,  179 
Royal  Academy,  136,  264 
Ruskin,  John,  259 
Russell  Majors  &  Waddell,  231 

SACRAMENTO,  231 

Sag  Harbour  and  Shelter  Island,  2 

"  St  Croix  Rum,"  53 

St  James's  Gazette,  273, 

St  Joseph,  Missouri,  231 

St  Paul's  Cathedral,  80,  136 

San  Diego,  24 

San  Francisco,  22,  23,  231,  292 

Savings  banks  in  England  and  the 

States,  237 

Scoreby,  near  York,  165 
Seabury  &  Johnson,  76 
Seasons  in  London  and  America, 

218 

Seligmann  Brothers,  150 
Servant  problem,  191 
Shore,  W.  Teignmouth,  161 
Shorter,  Clement,  64 
Sinclair,  Archdeacon,  80 
Sketch,  64 
Sky-scrapers,  190 
Slave  plantation,  life  on  a,  14 
Smith,  Captain  John,  burial-place 

of,  70 

Smithfield  martyrs,  70 
Snowstorm  of  1882,  great,  251 
Social  amenities  in  American  clubs, 

204 
Social    life    of    Scotland    in    the 

Eighteenth  Century,  160 
Solicitors,    barristers,    and    attor- 

neys-at-law,  268 
Spanish  War,  54 
Spearwater,  Hon.  Peter  A.,  18 
Sphere,  64 

Spindler,  William,  172 
Spurgeon,  Rev.  Charles,  35,  80 


s.s.  Russia,  31  et  seq.,  187 

"  S— T— 1860— X,"  52 

Stamp  tax  on  proprietary  medicines, 

Standard,  235,  237 

Stanley,  Dean,  80 

Stage  in  1867-68,  London,  129 

Stage  Yankee,  the,  201 

Steephill  Castle,  172,  291 

Steinway  Hall,  experience  at,  135 

Stevenson,  A.  E.,  154 

— Robert  Louis,  160 

Stockbridge,  Mass.,  4 

Stowe,  Mrs  Beecher,  14 

Stranded  Americans,  149,  150 

Street  language,  73 

— Traffic,  management  of  London, 
276 

"  Study  in  Temptations,  A,"  113 

"  Successful  Business,"  96 

"  Summer  Sonnets,"  103 

Sunday  editions  of  American  news- 
papers, 64 

—  observances,  233 

T.  P:S  Weekly,  63 
"Tales  of  Unrest,"  160 
Talmage,  Rev.  T.  De  Witte,  80 
Tatter,  64 

Taylor,  Judge  Henry  W.,  5 
-J.  L.,  155 
Tenants     and     rent-collecting    in 

New  York,  125 
Terrell,  Hon.  Alex.  W.,  154 
Terry,  Ellen,  134 
Terry,  Henry  K.,  69,  290 
Thackeray,  W.  M.,  115 
Thompson,  Rev.  Dr,  80 
Tilton,  Mrs  Theodore,  28 

—  Beecher-Tilton  affair,  28,  83 
Times,  The,  47,62,  109,  161,  235, 

237 

Times  Book  Club,  The^  284 
"  Tipping  in  England,"  158 
Tit-Bits,  63 
Toast-master,  the,  214 
Tobacco  combination,  a  great,  69, 

290 
Toole,  J.  L.,  118,  129,  130 


301 


Index 


Torrey,  Amos  G.,  26 
Tower  of  London,  136 
Travelling  expenses,  19 
—  facilities,  194 
Trevelyan,  G.  M.,  160 
Turgenieff,  Ivan  S.,  160 
Tussaud,   exhibition   of    Madame, 

36>  J36 

Tyndall,  Prof.,  160 
Tyng,  Rev.  Dr  S.  H.,  80 


"  UNCLE  DICK'S  DARLING,"  130 
"  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  14,  15 
United     States    medicine     ware- 
house, 25 

—  for  machinery,  60 

—  officials,  246 


VASSAR  COLLEGE,  147 
Vehicles,  the  fashion  in,  206 
Viaduct,  opening  of  the,  162 
Victoria,  British  Columbia,  25 
Village  life  of  an  American  minis- 
ter, 6 
Voorhees,  George,  9 

"  WAKE  UP,  ENGLAND,"  229 
Waldorf  Astoria,  242 


Ward,  William  Porter,  26,  29,  173, 

290 

Webster,  Ben,  129 
Weldon,  Bishop,  80 
Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  23 
Welsh,  John,  116 
Westminster  Abbey,  80,  136 
White  Star  Line,  187 
Widows  as  publicans,  175 
"Wife  well  Won,  A,"  129 
"  Wig  and  Gown,"  130 
Willesden,  shooting  school  at,  166 
Wilson,  Sir  Erasmus,  163 
Wilson,  Margaret,  262 
Wilton,  Marie,  129 
"  Wind  among  the   Reeds,  The," 

1 60 

Windermere,  Lake,  100 
Wisner,  Henry  A.,  8 
Wisner,  Sarah,  8 
Women,  American,  200 
—  and  English,  247  et  seq. 
"Woodbine"  slave  plantation,  14 
Wood,  Mrs  John,  131 
Worcester  Sauce,  75 
Wyndham,  Charles,  129 


YALE  COLLEGE,  2 
Yeats,  W.  B.,  160 


302